Misfit Together
by CallMeLy
Summary: A sort-of sequel to the one-shot Take The Risk from my fic collection Heaven is a Place on Earth. Urushihara is growing quite attached to his internet friends, only to be faced with new obstacles and a choice to make. What's a demon to do?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Hello, my lovelies~! I'm back, as promised, with the story of Urushihara, Momoko and Shizuka, which I am nicknaming the HaMoShi fic (like, from the first syllables of their first names, you get it? Idk) This prologue kind of recounts the one-shot where I introduced these OCs with a bit of new info thrown in. I'll be aiming to update every weekend. Enjoy~!

* * *

Prologue

Despite everything, he was happy.

He'd taken a risk and, although he hadn't exactly gotten away with it, it had been worth it. Urushihara had left the apartment and spent some time with his internet friends. And for anyone as socially inept as him, that alone was an achievement. Plus, he had _enjoyed_ it. Completely by chance, he had met two people who seemed to match with him so well, and what was even more impressive was how well he found himself matching with them. Fitting in between them like the last piece of the puzzle.

Urushihara had been following Shizuka Kusanagi online for quite some time, pretty much since he discovered the vast world of the internet. Or had Shizuka followed him first? Either way, they were nothing but silent mutuals for a while until Shizuka eventually took the initiative and replied to one of his posts. Their conversations could go on forever, covering books, anime, music and updates on one another's lives. They could both be so casual and laidback yet they also shared the same sarcastic, deadpan sense of humour. But what really clinched their friendship was the discovery that they were both on the A-spectrum, Urushihara being asexual and Shizuka being aromantic.

Eventually, browsing Shizuka's blog led him to find the one and only Momoko Hamasaki. After a mere few days of watching Shizuka reblog post after post from her, Urushihara gave in and curiously clicked the follow button. Soon enough, he realised he couldn't go a single day without seeing that bright, round smiling face on his dashboard at least once. Momoko's blog was a jumble of cute animals, pastel gore, anime, anxiety, video games and miscellaneous jokes and memes, much like the girl running it. And selfies. So many selfies, bombarding him and anyone else who saw with her strange colour combinations and unnecessarily excessive accessories. Hats, chokers, bracelets, wristbands, badges, they were all there, to the point that virtually every picture received a response of "tone it down" from either Shizuka or Urushihara. Or sometimes both. Multiple times.

Then came the day Shizuka sent that message. The one telling Urushihara he would be coming over to Tokyo from Kanagawa for the weekend. And Urushihara had made his decision.

And now he sat at his laptop, trying to block out the waves of annoyance from Maou and Ashiya, thinking about it.

The meet-up itself went well. Of course, he recognised Momoko the moment he saw her, dressed in an oversized purple hoodie, a pink skirt only just poking out beneath it, galaxy-print leggings and furry boots, with a pair of bright red headphones round her neck and a neon orange sweatband on her wrist. Like she had just stepped out of one of her many pictures. And although he posted his own pictures far too rarely for Urushihara to have a clear image in his head, it was easy to guess that the taller boy behind her was Shizuka. He was pretty much just as Urushihara expected, too. His outfit was far more… simple, and far less loud, than Momoko's. He had on worn-out blue jeans, a plain black t-shirt and a grey hoodie with a pair of red converse being a single splash of colour. His light brown hair was spiked and messy and a pair of reading glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

Urushihara's own appearance fit almost perfectly between them – the bright colour of the purple alongside the simplicity of the clothes.

Up until the awkward explanation that he'd had to sneak out of the apartment to come, Urushihara, Shizuka and Momoko did have a lot of fun. They talked and laughed as they wandered around. Urushihara was quiet at first but his friends eventually brought him out of his shell and he started to enjoy himself, especially when Momoko suggested they get ice cream. The time went by all too quickly, filled with new inside jokes and new discoveries about each other.

He'd learned a lot about them, and they'd learned a lot about him. He really had found good friends. But he still had one secret he wasn't ready to give up. And he didn't expect he ever would be.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

I have been so damn excited to continue this. Here we go~!

* * *

Chapter 1

It was unexpected, to say the least. Of all the things Urushihara could do, Maou and Ashiya were the most shocked by the idea of him actually going out for the sole purpose of socializing. What was going on with him?

Maou had arrived home just over an hour ago, not long after spotting Urushihara out and about in the Hatagaya area as he hurried past MgRonald's. Trying, and failing, to avoid being seen, no doubt. If it weren't for the fact that he was busy with customers at the time, he might have gone after him, but confronting him the moment he arrived home worked just as well. And he was surprised to hear Urushihara's reason for leaving the safety of their little one-room apartment.

 _"I-I just wanted to meet my internet friends, ok? Nobody noticed me, I didn't get arrested or anything, so it's all good, right?"_

 _Friends?_ This was news to Maou. But then, he remembered as he took a sip from his cup, there were two other people nearby. He hadn't really entertained the thought that they might have been with Urushihara, so he didn't think to pay much attention to them.

Right now, Maou was sitting at an angle to the table with his manga open in his lap and a teacup beside him while Ashiya was tidying the room. It was quiet, and Maou was thinking. Letting the book fall shut, he leaned his elbow up on the table and rested his chin in his hand, looking across the room at the subject of his thoughts. Urushihara was in his usual spot in front of the laptop, his head tilted down and the screen titled forward so that neither Maou nor Ashiya could see exactly what he was doing. He was hunched over the desk, shuffled as close to it as possible, with his headphones in. He was giving off every signal that he wanted to be left alone.

And Maou did leave him alone, for the time being.

As Maou mused over the possibilities of what kind of people someone like Urushihara would be friends with, or what they would do together, Ashiya left for a brief moment to take the trash out. When he returned, Maou spoke, still looking at the back of Urushihara's head.

"You know, I can't help but wonder," he shifted his attention onto Ashiya, who had now joined him at the table, "Who would an anti-social shut-in like him be interested enough in to actually want to go out to see?"

"I think a better question would be who would be interested in going out to see an anti-social shut-in?" Ashiya replied with a wry tone, "Still, it may be worth finding out more about these friends of his. We wouldn't want him to cause any trouble."

"Maybe you're right... Wait, cause trouble _for_ them or _with_ them?"

Ashiya grimaced, "Either way, it won't be good for us."

Maou had to admit, he was right there. Urushihara may not have caused any problems this time, or it didn't seem he had anyway, but that didn't mean he wouldn't in the future. Maou nodded and reached for his tea again as Ashiya continued.

"You saw them outside MgRonald's, correct? What did they look like?"

"I didn't really get a good look at them, plus I didn't even consider they could all be together..." he thought for a moment, "I do remember a few things, like there was one guy and one girl. The guy looked pretty average, I guess, but the girl was wearing all these bright colours and stuff. If you ask me, she doesn't seem like the type Urushihara would hang around with."

Before Ashiya could respond, though, Urushihara's voice came from the other side of the room, sounding tired and uninterested.

"You're talking about me, aren't you?"

They looked up to see that he hadn't even turned to face them.

"... Did you hear all that?" Maou asked carefully as Urushihara removed his headphones.

"Nope," now, he turned around and leaned back on one hand, his expression bored but slightly irritated, "but I did catch my name. What's going on?"

Maou and Ashiya looked at each other for a second.

"Tell us about your friends." Maou said.

A demand, not a question. Urushihara faltered, glancing away for a moment.

"What about them...?"

"Well for starters, who are these people? You never mentioned having friends before."

"That's 'cause it's none of your damn business," Urushihara frowned, "I can have my own life. You don't need to know everything."

"We do if it's going to put us in any kind of danger." Ashiya's tone was calm but he was starting to look like he could snap any minute.

"They're not dangerous. And we were just hanging out. I already told you I was careful, so what's the problem?"

"The problem is we can't be sure..." Maou paused, narrowing his eyes, "Have you told them about us?"

Urushihara, surprisingly, looked offended by this.

"Of course I haven't, do you think I'm an idiot?" Ashiya opened his mouth but Urushihara fixed him with a sharp glare, "Don't answer that," he turned back to Maou, "If I tell them, who knows what they'll do? I mean, at the very least they wouldn't want to be around me or even talk to me anymore."

But that only confused Maou even more.

"You don't even _like_ being around people. You said it yourself, you're socially awkward."

"It's different when it's someone I have things in common with. It's easier to talk to them when they understand what I'm saying..." Urushihara sighed.

Maou and Ashiya were quiet. Urushihara turned back to the screen and picked up his headphones again.

"You don't have to worry," he said snidely, "I might screw up a lot, but I won't this time. Just drop it."

He clearly had nothing more to say on the subject, but his roommates were still in the dark as to what sort of people Urushihara had found. For whatever reason, he was desperate to hold on to them.

Maou had said he had one more chance, but that was on the topic of him sneaking out. It wasn't about him leaving the apartment at all. Which meant if Maou would just let him, Urushihara could meet up with Shizuka and Momoko again. Thus began the days of trying to convince him that there was nothing wrong with what he was doing. It started with casually mentioning it sometimes, just in passing, then he was openly talking about how much he wanted to see them. Then asking directly, and eventually all-out begging. It took some time, but he did manage to break them both down.

And once he had done that, he turned to his laptop with a rare grin and typed a message.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

I don't know if anyone's picked up on it yet, but I've already dropped a couple of hints of foreshadowing here and there~ Watch out, though, I'm leaving some red herrings around too ;p

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Chapter 2

"Am I always gonna be the one who has to order?" Momoko let out a heavy sigh and placed a tray of food before the two boys, sitting down between them with an exaggerated huff.

"This is only the second time we've met up," Shizuka reminded her as he and Urushihara tipped the three boxes of fries into a pile and began to pick at them, "But yes."

They both smirked, but neither one looked up. They were too focused on eating. Momoko, however, chose to go straight for sticking her finger into the ketchup, sucking on it as she spoke.

"Why? Huh? Why's it gotta be me?"

Without missing a beat, Urushihara and Shizuka turned to her, their movements completely in sync, both wearing the same half-lidded, bored look, and said in perfect monotone unison; "You're the sociable one."

There was a brief pause then Momoko, who was now frowning, reached out, grabbed a handful of fries and shoved them all in her mouth. It didn't take much more to send all three of them into a fit of laughter.

About an hour ago, Urushihara had arrived at Shinjuku Station where Shizuka was already waiting, leaning against a wall with his shoulder bag hanging by his side and his phone in his hand. He had kept his head down the whole journey there, the only thought on his mind being to avoid any and all unnecessary interaction, but once he saw his friend he instantly perked up. Shizuka smiled and raised a hand in a small wave before reaching into his bag and pulling out his headphones. He offered Urushihara one earbud.

"I have a feeling she's gonna be a while."

With a light chuckle, Urushihara took the earbud and the two waited in comfortable almost-silence, the sound of Gorillaz drowning out the noise of the crowds.

It was another ten minutes or so before a flustered, scatterbrained Momoko hopped off the train and hurried over to join them, apologising and making excuses. Shizuka merely brushed this off while Urushihara raised an eyebrow at her cat-eared hat and the tiny gold bell attached to her choker, amused.

"Going for a theme, Mo?"

"Yup!" Momoko smiled. Then, just like when they had first met up, she placed a hand on top of his head. Urushihara's expression changed instantly. He gently removed her hand from his head with a sigh and shook his head.

"Is this gonna become a regular thing with you?"

They had wandered around Shinjuku for some time, mostly window-shopping and joking around, Shizuka getting distracted by books and manga, Momoko getting distracted by clothes and accessories and Urushihara getting distracted by games and gadgets he could probably never hope to afford even if he _did_ get a job. It was going well.

And now he was sat in a MgRonald's near Shinjuku Station with them. For a brief moment, he had worried about the social interaction that ordering food required, especially since he knew Shizuka tended to clam up when faced with strangers. In becoming human, Urushihara had lost much of his intimidating confidence along with his wings, at least in these sorts of situations. Leading a troop of soldiers was one thing but having to speak to a bright-smiled, self-assured human he had never met before was something else entirely. The two boys were saved by Momoko's seemingly-boundless friendly nature.

Back on the streets outside, the trio strolled along towards the train station, already talking about what to do the next time they got to see each other. And as they chatted, a police car passed by. Neither Shizuka nor Momoko took much notice of it, but Urushihara watched it drive by. He casually moved over to Shizuka's other side, where he was mostly out of sight from the road behind his taller friend.

He wouldn't admit it, but he was just a little paranoid.

Momoko and Shizuka didn't seem to think much of this, most likely passing it off as him just being slightly uncomfortable now that the street was getting busier.

Well, he was kind of uncomfortable with that, but there was more important matters.

Urushihara's mind began to wander, drifting from the conversation.

... Was it worth telling them the truth?

He thought for a moment, then quickly shook his head, making sure his friends didn't notice. What would they say? What would they do?

 _I'd lose them..._

And so soon.

But what if he only told them about th-

 _Ok, no, that's even worse. If I'm not telling them I'm a demon, I definitely can't tell them I'm a wanted criminal...!_

"Hanzo? You alright?"

He suddenly looked up at Momoko's voice. He had fallen a few steps behind them and she and Shizuka had both stopped to look at him. And they both looked a little concerned.

 _I can't tell them._

"Yeah," he started walking again, his friends following suit, "Just feeling a little drained."

"Ah... Introvert time?" Shizuka smiled knowingly, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Urushihara nodded distractedly but said nothing.

He was quiet on the train, but again Momoko and Shizuka must have assumed he just didn't feel like talking. Luckily, by the time he had said goodbye to them and made his way back to Villa Rosa, he was sure. He wouldn't tell them. At least, not yet. Not for a while.

"Oh, hey, welcome home," Maou glanced at him as he came through the door, "How'd it go?"

"... Good..." Urushihara shrugged, moving straight to his desk. In all honesty, he really did need some 'introvert time'. He just had more than one reason for being distant right now. His mind was on other things.

"Nothing... bad happened?"

"No..." rolling his eyes, Urushihara opened his laptop.

"In that case, I'm giving you permission to go out."

This got his attention. He turned his head, looking at Maou expectantly. There had to be something more.

"So long as you're gonna be with your friends and not running wild on your own, and you let me know when and where you're going. Got that?"

"Uh..." he was caught off guard to say the least, but he couldn't really complain. He wasn't being forced out, he wasn't being put in danger, so... "Yeah... Thanks, I guess..."

He opened Tumblr, still feeling slightly dazed and generally tired. Momoko had already posted a few photos from that day.

He smiled.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Things are picking up...! I think Suzuno's gonna become a main character in this story, wasn't expecting that, but hey she's my second fav and I absolutely love her so~ Also I slipped the first half of an idea from the user MissGela into this chapter~ (Thank you! ^^)

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Chapter 3

A few weeks passed and Urushihara had spent a grand total of six hours out with his friends in that time. Sure, he did prefer staying home most of the time and they talked regularly online, and of course Shizuka couldn't always make it into Tokyo to hang out anyway, but all things considered, he saw it as a major achievement.

Suzuno, Emi and Chiho, on the other hand, saw it as slightly suspicious. Suzuno was the first to notice him leaving the apartment every now and then. Not long after, she brought it up while the three of them were over at the boys' apartment for lunch.

"Wait, what?" Emi paused, her chopsticks hovering over the plate in front of her as she looked up at Suzuno, then turned to Urushihara sat at his desk, "Have you been sneaking out or something, you lousy littl-"

Maou interrupted before Urushihara, who was already glaring at Emi with gritted teeth, could snap at her.

"Whoa, whoa, hey, he's not sneaking out. I gave him permission."

"You _what_?!" Emi dropped her chopsticks and slammed a hand down on the table.

"Jeez, overreact much? So I go out sometimes now, I'm not doing anything wrong." Urushihara continued to glare at her as he picked at the bland bowl of udon he had been giving.

Chiho's eyes were wide with surprise, while Emi and Suzuno's eyes narrowed.

"Is that so? Then what _are_ you doing on these outings, Good Hanzo?"

She may have been growing closer to the fallen angel, but that didn't mean Suzuno was about to completely let her guard down.

"I made a couple friends o-"

All three girls jumped.

" _Friends_?!"

"Yeah, we were pretty surprised too..." Maou chipped in.

"How did _you_ of all people even _meet_ someone?" Chiho's tone almost sounded impressed, although still disbelieving. Urushihara gave her a cold, blank stare for a moment before answering.

"Maybe if you guys didn't _interrupt_ me I would tell you."

Chiho and Emi only pouted at that, leaving Suzuno to be the mature one.

"Apologies. Go on."

"I met them online. We'd been talking for a while then one of 'em suggested we meet u-"

"So they're weird computer nerds like you?"

"Hey! Who're you calling weird?! You're the one who keeps spying on us and stalking Maou...!"

But by then, none of them were listening to him anymore. Leaving him to throw one of his temper tantrums, Emi, Chiho and Suzuno wondered what sort of people could possibly be friends with someone as hopeless as Urushihara. Eventually, he gave up and turned back to his laptop, still picking at the udon noodles. As the others ate, they thought, the girls seemingly communicating in silence through their facial expressions.

Urushihara had found friends online, and had even made the effort to go out and see them. Now he was leaving the apartment on a semi-regular basis to spend time with them _outside_. Whoever they were, they couldn't be much different from him. For someone to actually enjoy being around him, they had to be just as cynical, just as childish, just as... downright _repulsive_ as Urushihara was.

They were still curious, though. Not that any of them would admit it.

Within a couple of days, however, Suzuno's mind drifted to other things, more important things. She had her own life, after all, she needn't worry herself so much with Urushihara's business. She went about her usual schedule but when she was in the middle of making herself some lunch, she paused.

 _Ah, I've run out of ginger..._ Careless, really. _Perhaps Good Shiro has some I could use...?_

She turned down the stove and left her room. She was about to knock on 201's door when it opened and Urushihara appeared. He gave her an indifferent look and a half-hearted wave as he slipped past her and opened the door to the stairway.

"Oh, hey, Su... Just headin' out. Later!"

She watched him for a few seconds; he seemed quite excited, something she couldn't remember ever witnessing in the time she had known him.

"Ms Kamazuki?"

Urushihara had obviously guessed what she was doing and left the door open for her, and Ashiya was no stood in the doorway looking down at her.

"Oh, Good Shiro..."

Of course, she hadn't come here to find out anything about Urushihara. But even so, she looked to Maou while Ashiya went to check the fridge for her. She couldn't help it.

"Good Sadao?"

"Hm. I suppose it's not important. Thank you anyway," she turned to Ashiya, who held out a small piece of ginger root which she took, "And thank you as well, Good Shiro. Goodbye."

With a small bow, she went to leave, then turned her head back to Maou.

"By the way, do you know where he is going?"

"Huh? Uh... I think he said they'd be hanging out around Shinjuku. That's where they normally go, far as I know... Why?"

"... No reason."

Back in her own apartment, Suzuno finished cooking and ate in silence and afterwards, she made her way down to the phone booth around the corner from Villa Rosa.

"Hello?"

"Emilia?"

"Suzuno? Is something wrong?"

"I can't say for sure something is _wrong_ , but I would like to talk to you. Do you have time?"

"Yeah, I just left work. What's on your mind?"

"It's these friends of Good Hanzo's. I just spoke with Good Sadao and he knows nothing about them either. Apparently, Good Hanzo has told him next to nothing. And I saw him leaving not an hour ago, he looked quite cheerful, too. Do you think he could be... up to something?"

"Well, I don't doubt it," there was a hint of a smirk in Emi's voice, "But that doesn't mean it's something _bad_. I mean, it might not have anything to do with Ente Isla or magic, y'know?"

"I suppose. But even in that case, they are normal human beings of this world and _he_ is a demon. Don't you think there is a possibility that he could endanger them in some way?"

"I guess you're right..." she trailed off, probably thinking it over, "Tell you what, if he's out right now, I'll look around and see if I can find him. I got some free time."

"Good idea. I was told they were going into Shinjuku. Even if he is telling the truth, we can at least find out who these people are."

"Exactly. I'll talk to you later."

"Good luck."

Suzuno placed the phone down and returned to her room.

Meanwhile, Emi was heading for the train station when she spotted a familiar face up ahead. Chiho was saying goodbye to someone who Emi could only assume was a friend from school. Turning around, Chiho spotted her and came running over.

"Hey, Chiho, you been shopping with a friend or something?"

"Uh-huh! What about you, Miss Yusa? Are you going shopping?"

"Not quite. But maybe you'd like to help me with something."


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Part 2 of MissGela's idea comes in here~ Also I've mentioned Urushihara and Shizuka's orientations already, time to bring in Momoko's

* * *

Chapter 4

Although neither of them could bare to come out and say it, both Emi and Chiho were desperate to know more about Urushihara's friends. They didn't say much to one another on the train or even as they explored the Shinjuku area, besides to discuss possible locations to look for them, or good hiding spots to watch from. The girls were too wrapped up in their own minds.

It was Chiho who managed to point out the unmistakably familiar purple shape ahead of them first. He was clearly trying to keep at least a few feet away from anyone else in the busy street, apart from two people who he stuck close to. Who he was _talking to_ as they walked.

 _... Them...?_

They didn't... _look_ all that weird...

"Let's get closer." Emi muttered and led the way towards their targets.

They slipped into a clothes store when Urushihara and his friends stopped to look in a window nearby, careful not to lose sight of them. From there, they could observe the three without attracting attention.

The two other people - one boy, one girl - looked to be around the same age as Urushihara. That is, the age he _claimed_ to be here on Earth. The boy wore glasses and a shoulder bag was hanging by his waist. He gave off a sort of laid-back vibe, standing a few inches taller than Urushihara with his hands in his pockets. As for the girl, she was a little more out-there, but not exactly the kind of 'weird' that Emi and Chiho had in mind. She was an explosion of colour - a bright pink beanie, an orange wristband, a long, loose blue top and a rainbow of bangles on one arm. They both smiled at something Urushihara had said and their conversation seemed to get a little more exciting.

Huh. This wasn't what Emi had expected.

Behind her, Chiho was watching with wide-eyed fascination.

"Wow..." she breathed, "They're actually... pretty _normal_. Cool, even!"

Before Emi could respond, Chiho had pulled out her phone and was hitting buttons rapidly.

"Mr Maou? You said you actually saw Mr Urushihara's friends that one time, right?"

 _"Uh... yeah?"_

"Why didn't you tell us how cool and actually _good-looking_ they were?!"

 _"W-what...? Chi, what are you talking about?"_

"His _friends_! I just saw him with them, and they're, like, completely normal people! And they're even sorta attractive! And you didn't say anything!"

Back in the apartment, Maou groaned inwardly. How many times was he going to have to say this to somebody?

 _"Chi, I just caught a glimpse of them outside our restaurant, I didn't see them up close..."_

Listening to Chiho's ongoing ranting, Emi's face practically dropped. This was no time to be reporting back to Maou, they were supposed to be gathering info.

Soon, Urushihara and his friends moved on and the girls trailed after them. When they realised their targets were headed for the train station, most likely going home now, they decided to call it a day. They could wait a moment until the three friends had gone then catch a train themselves. At least now they knew what kind of people Urushihara's friends were. And that they didn't seem to be doing anything particularly wrong. They did notice that Urushihara kept his head low around other people, but that was to be expected.

There was, however, one thing that Emi just could not get off her mind.

These were two innocent, oblivious human beings. And they had unwittingly befriended a Demon General.

And she had sworn to protect all humans from the demons.

"I still got some time before my train back home," Shizuka said, glancing at his phone then stuffing it back into his pocket, "We could go grab some lunch before I leave."

He was sat next to Urushihara on the train about to arrive at Hatagaya Station with Momoko on Urushihara's other side. When the train finally came to a stop, they hopped off.

"Not MgRonald's, right?" Momoko asked, looking at Urushihara.

"Nah. I mean, Maou's not working today, but still, I don't wanna go to his place..."

"Sentucky's, then?" Shizuka suggested, already moving towards the door.

"Uh..."

 _That's where Sariel works... but..._

Shizuka beckoned him over from right outside SFC and Momoko was going to join him, walking backwards and pretending to pull Urushihara along with her.

 _... Fried chicken... It's just too tempting..._

He gave in all too quickly and followed them inside. Inside, SFC was crowded - the last surge of the lunch rush, clearly. Urushihara caught sight of Sarue serving customers at the counter almost immediately, but the multiple lines of people easily blocked him from view.

"Hey, one of you come and help me out this time, would ya?" Momoko quipped with a light-hearted frown, "You can't just leave me to be the 'sociable one' every damn time we go out to eat."

"You guys order, I'll find us some seats..."

Urushihara was already moving towards the seating area.

"Hey, you didn't even-" Shizuka started to go after him but Momoko clamped a hand on his shoulder.

"Too late, he called it first. C'mon, don't worry about what to get him, he'd take it all if he could."

Shizuka hesitated for a second, watching Urushihara disappear amongst the crowd.

"... Don't you think that was a little weird for him? He usually hangs around to make a choice, at least."

Momoko waved a hand, "It's just Hanzo being Hanzo, he's shy and the place is packed. And like I said, he likes everything here, we can just get him whatever."

"I guess..."

He joined Momoko at the back of the line but he couldn't help but wonder. Was there something going on?

He shook his head. Momo was right, this wasn't all that strange. Not for him.

A few minutes later, they found Urushihara sitting at a table in a corner, looking down at his PASTA in his lap. Playing his game was always a good way for him to deflect unwanted attention. Momoko placed the tray on the table with a soft sigh and sat down opposite him, Shizuka taking the seat beside her.

"What happened?" Urushihara sounded only half interested. He continued with his game a few seconds more then pocketed the console and leaned forward on the table. Shizuka was the one to answer, giving Momoko a sympathetic, yet slightly amused, smile as he did.

"Some straight guy couldn't take a hint."

Urushihara rolled his eyes and took a bite from his chicken. This had happened a couple of times before. A random guy would try to flirt with her, right when she had just spotted a cute girl.

"Yeah, and it was the guy who was serving us! This blue-haired weirdo with sunglasses on. I mean, who does that? Anyway, this girl was working..."

Urushihara had already stopped listening. Right after "blue-haired", that's all he needed to know.

"Watch out for that guy," he gave Momoko a firm look, then turned to Shizuka, "Both of you."

"Why?" Momoko was a little confused, "Yeah, he was kind of a creep but he didn't seem like the type to do any real harm, y'know?"

"You know him from somewhere?" Shizuka stared at him. Did this have anything to do with the way he was acting a moment ago?

"You could say that. Trust me, he's bad news."

"But wh-"

"You don't need to know the details," he was glaring at them now, "Just be careful around him." He went back to eating. He wouldn't say anything else about it.

Momoko brushed it off with a short "sure", but Shizuka couldn't overlook it. There was something their friend wasn't telling them.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

I finished writing an essay today~ And that's about it for Ly's Recent Achievements. Easter break is only a week away and I'm hopefully gonna get back to my to-watch anime list. And I might even rewatch Devil ;) Anyway, right now, let's get back to HaMoShi! A little more of Emi, Suzuno and Chiho this time~

* * *

Chapter 5

He was lucky they hadn't pressed any further, he wouldn't have known what to say. But as long as his friends knew to be careful around Sarue, he didn't feel he needed to. He made his way into the courtyard of Villa Rosa and up the stairs, his head down as he ran scenarios through his head of what could happen should either Shizuka, Momoko or the both of them somehow get caught up with the other angel.

He was so focused on his thoughts, he didn't see the person looking out at him from the window of the apartment, not until he was inside the corridor and opening the door, only to come face-to-face with Chiho. He immediately took a step back, letting out a surprised noise somewhere between a gasp and a yelp.

"Finally, you're back!" she was already rambling, not giving him any time to recover, "I can't believe it, you really do have _friends_! How on Earth did someone like you get to know two perfectly normal, good-looking people?"

Ok, that got him.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" then... "Wait... Did you _follow_ me? What the actual Hell, Sasaki?!"

Another familiar voice came from inside the apartment.

"Yes, we did."

Chiho stepped aside to let Urushihara in. On entering, he found Emi, Maou and Ashiya at the table. Emi was looking up at him, the firmness he had heard in her voice reflected in her eyes. Ashiya also looked at him, though he seemed mostly indifferent. Maou, on the other hand, had his elbow propped up on the table and his chin in his hand, glaring at Emi opposite him. Clearly, they'd had yet another disagreement right before he got home. Although, 'glare' might not be the right word. Urushihara couldn't quite read him. Chiho joined them, taking the spot between Emi and Maou. Urushihara stepped forward then stopped at the sound of sandals on wood behind him. He turned to see Suzuno framed by the doorway.

"I thought I heard your voice," she said plainly as she closed the door behind her and went to sit beside Emi, "I believe we have a few things to discuss with you, Good Hanzo."

Urushihara stayed where he was by the door and crossed his arms, raising one eyebrow and giving the others a hard stare. As usual, his defensiveness came out in the form of sarcastic quips.

"So what is this, huh? Some weird intervention for the dumb hermit who dared to go beyond his station in life and make some friends?"

"Have you told them about Ente Isla?" Emi asked, her expression unchanging and her tone even.

Urushihara blinked, surprised. His gaze shifted to Maou for a brief moment. Maou hadn't changed his position, but he had let his strange, watchful stare move from Emi to Urushihara. Their eyes met but nothing passed between them. Despite his normally keen perception of people, Urushihara just couldn't figure out what he was thinking. After only a couple of seconds, he focused back on Emi, his voice rising.

"Of course I haven't. If I actually told them anything, they'd run for the hills, and that's only if they'd believe me in the first place!" Frankly, he was offended she would even assume he would, then Suzuno spoke up.

"Maybe you should."

Maou turned away ever so slightly, closing his eyes. Urushihara tried to ignore him and opened his mouth.

"Wha-"

"It's just something to consider," Maou said pointedly, still not looking at him, "...I'm not completely convinced either." His eyes were on Emi again.

Urushihara fell silent, and Emi took this opportunity to speak.

"Look, all I'm saying is it's been much easier for me and Suzuno to protect Chiho with her knowing the truth about all of us. We're able to trust each other better because she knows..." she locked eyes with Urushihara, "The point is if you insist on seeing these people as regularly as you are, it might be necessary to tell them."

" _Might_." Maou frowned, still looking at Emi.

"Surely you must have come across something that was difficult to explain to them, Good Hanzo?"

Keeping his head down in crowds, the police car, _Sariel_... Of course he had. How could he not?

"No. Nothing."

Suzuno's eyes narrowed but Maou interjected before she or Emi could say anything.

"Just think it over. You can't rush this. There's no need for us to dive head-first into something when we don't know what the outcome will be." His voice was strong, commanding. Laced with authority. A king. Beside him, Ashiya nodded resolutely.

"Urushihara, need I remind you, I am a Hero," Emi's voice was unusually subdued compared to every other time she had spouted that same line. She was serious, "It is my sworn duty to protect humans from you demons. All I really want is to keep them safe."

"Heh..." Urushihara's mouth curved into a cold, cynical smirk, "All you _really_ want is to drive them away from me."

Emi slowly stood up. She neither confirmed nor denied his statement as she headed for the door with Chiho close behind her. All she said was "You really should consider it." and then they both left.

There was no response from Urushihara. He quickly made his way over to his laptop, avoiding eye contact with Maou, Ashiya or Suzuno, pulled out his headphones and opened the browser.

Later, though, when Suzuno had left, too, he removed his headphones and let Maou talk to him.

"You know, I don't agree with her. At least, not totally," he mused, "I do think you'll need to tell them eventually, if you really think you can trust them. But you're the only one of us who really knows these people. And I'm not comfortable with the idea of strangers knowing who were really are."

Urushihara, sat at his desk, didn't look away from the screen, but he was definitely listening.

"Well, then, you're in luck. I don't intend on telling them _anything_..."

He didn't dare say it out loud, but inside, he was worried. He was almost _afraid_ to tell them. He didn't want them to leave him.

He didn't want them to _fear him_.


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Sorry this is slightly late, my internet was going off and on all day yesterday and when it finally came back on I was way too sleepy to focus on writing... Btw, I'm considering making a start on that other one-shot collection idea MichaelisHearts from WattPad gave me, so that might be coming within the next few weeks(?) Anyway, let's get down to it~ This chapter turned out longer than I expected

* * *

Chapter 6

Despite their conflicting opinions on the matter, both Maou and Emi had told him to _think about it_. Urushihara didn't _want_ to think about it. He had made his decision.

Hadn't he...?

Even so, _not thinking about it_ was proving to be easier said than done.

While he may not have cared about lying to Emi or Chiho, something about lying to Suzuno, right to her face, like that just didn't feel right. But when she had asked about those hard-to-explain situations, he couldn't bring himself to admit it. They were on good terms now, sure, but they still weren't quite friends. Urushihara was far more concerned about what his _real_ friends would think of him. Still, she did have a point; he'd given them plenty of reasons to be suspicious of him already. And although he hated to side with Emi in any way, it was true their obliviousness could be a problem.

If they knew the truth, they would understand why he was so protective of them, and of himself. They would understand why he needed to keep a low profile. They would understand why he was even _in_ his situation.

On the other hand, Maou was right in waiting. He and the others hadn't even met Shizuka or Momoko, they couldn't risk letting them into their little circle when they had no idea what sort of people they were dealing with. Most importantly, they had to be sure they could trust Shizuka and Momoko with their secret. And that Shizuka and Momoko could trust them.

Trust was a funny thing, as Urushihara saw it. Momoko was almost _too_ trusting sometimes. She was the type to always give a person the benefit of the doubt, whether she knew them well or not. But whether or not that was a good thing always depended entirely on the circumstances. Then there was Shizuka, who wasn't quite so trusting, but his perceptiveness and observant nature more than made up for it. He questioned things that Momoko readily accepted. He might not instantly believe whatever was thrown at him, but he was thoughtful and cautious. At least, that's the way he seemed.

But what would all that mean for Urushihara? It was still too hard to tell and he couldn't help but feel anxious. With how much he was worrying about this, it was totally possible that he'd blurt it out the next time he saw them without thinking. He tried to push it out of his mind for now. They had, after all, told him to _think about it_. That meant he had time.

A little nervously, he opened Tumblr and immediately flinched at the sight of a message notification. He had quite a few other followers but besides Shizuka and Momoko, not many of them sent him messages out of nowhere.

 _Click._

It was Shizuka. Of course. But as he read it, he felt himself relax.

 _Hey sorry but I won't be able to make it to Tokyo for a while, got exams coming up. Gotta study ¬.¬_

That would give him some extra time to work things out, then. But soon after he responded, Momoko appeared in his IMs.

 _You heard from Shi'ka?_

Was she going to say the same thing? Hopefully.

 _Bout exams? Yea why?_

 _You wanna meet up without him? Idk if he'd feel left out..._

So much for hope.

 _Don't you have exams too?_

 _Well ya but like_

He should have known better. Momoko didn't have the problem of living an hour away, plus she was a lot less concerned with her grades than Shizuka was.

 _Best if we don't. I got stuff going on anyway..._

 _No prob then ( '_ _ヮ_ _'_ _)_ _ノ_

No questions asked.

He let the conversation go on for a little while longer, trying to keep the subject away from meeting up. He didn't expect that on the other side of the screen, Momoko was starting to wonder.

She didn't want to say anything to him, but after what Shizuka had said at SFC the last time they were out together, it was hard not to notice the way Urushihara was acting.

The next time she logged on, she saw Shizuka online. She hesitated for a second then typed a message:

 _I think you're right bout Hanzo..._

 _What about him?_

 _How he's been actin lately. Any idea what's goin on with him?_

 _Not sure. I don't want to start accusing him of anything but it's like he's keeping something from us, y'know?_

It did seem that way. Momoko paused, biting her lip and curling her fingers above the keyboard before continuing.

 _Should we ask him bout it?_

She didn't like to pry. It was his business. If he wanted to make it _her_ business as well, he would.

Wouldn't he?

 _Not just yet. He might tell us on his own if we give him some time_

At least Shizuka thought the same. And they left it at that.

Although, she still found herself thinking about it, just little thoughts popping up in her mind over the next few days. Urushihara had never really told them much about himself. There was a lot she didn't know about him, and a lot that she could only assume. In fact, now that she thought about it, most of what she thought she knew about him was just assumptions and guesses, pieced together from the little details he gave. He didn't have a good relationship with his family and had moved out, dropped out of school and met Maou and Ashiya, who he had mentioned in passing. They'd let him stay with him after he'd gotten himself in some kind of trouble and had nowhere else to go, but for whatever reason he still didn't get along so well with them.

And that was it. That was the whole story, or what she knew of it, anyway. She had never met his roommates, and he'd never told them where he lived, so it wasn't like she could go ask someone who knew him...

 _Someone who knew him._

She could ask _someone who knew him._

Even if he had explicitly told her not to. He hadn't given her a good reason why she shouldn't speak to the guy.

 _Yeah, he was kind of a creep but he didn't seem like the type to do any real harm._

Momoko looked down at the clock in the corner of her screen. It wouldn't take too long to get to Hatagaya, and it wasn't so late that the street would be empty. She's be in full view of anyone walking by, so she'd be safe. Closing the laptop, she stood up and headed downstairs, making sure her phone was in her pocket. Before she left, she called out to her dad:

"Just running to the store, I'll be back soon...!"

The door shut behind her before he could reply.

She struggled to keep her mind from wandering the whole way there, but she couldn't help it. This could go any number of ways. She only hoped whichever way it went would be helpful.

She didn't know this person. Urushihara did, and he had said he was bad news. What he meant by that she didn't know. But then, at this point, she didn't know if she could believe Urushihara.

Luckily, there was still a few customers at SFC. Momoko paused outside, suddenly feeling unsure of herself, but then she saw the man with the blue hair approaching the door with a few flyers in hand. He gave her a quick glance and a slightly unnerving smile that was obviously meant to be flirty. Momoko groaned inwardly but refused to back down, even when he spoke in that gratingly irritating voice.

"Well, good evening, miss. If I remember correctly, you were here only a week or so ago. Were you considering dining with us again?"

 _"Dining"? Ugh, it's a fast food joint, not a 5-star restaurant..._

"Uh, actually, I wanted to ask you something. You wouldn't happen to recognise the name Hanzo Urushihara, would you?"

He only frowned.

"Short guy, long purple hair, kinda anti-social..."

The man's frown turned into a sour-looking smirk.

"Oh, him."

His tone changed completely, now dripping with disgust. He went to remove a flyer from the front of the window and replace it with one he had brought out. Momoko tried to keep her voice steady and confident.

"Well, I'm a friend of his," at this, she noticed his eyes narrow, "Apparently, he knows you... Or at least, knew you. He's been acting weird lately and I don't think he'd tell me why if I asked him. Do you know anything?"

"Now, then, that depends on how much _you_ know about _him_."

"... Know _what_ about him?" Momoko raised an eyebrow, suddenly nervous. The look on her face alone seemed to tell him everything.

"Nothing you should be concerned with, my dear," he finished his work and turned to face her directly again, "Though perhaps you should be a little more careful around your _friend_. You wouldn't want to get yourself into any unfortunate situations, now, would you?"

He opened the door and went back inside, leaving Momoko standing there idly. She felt a chill run down her spine.

What was she getting herself into?


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

So last week was an interesting chapter, huh? Huh? Anyway, Happy Easter, my lovelies~ I'm going to _try_ to make a start on the other one-shot collection (which will be called Opinions, btw) over the next two weeks and I might also attempt some cover art for this story...? I'm really out of practice with drawing but if I get time I'll see what I can do. Now that that's out of the way, time to get back to Momoko~ This is... sort of part-filler, part-plot, I think. I'm proud of it, though

* * *

Chapter 7

It was getting dark but Momoko walked slowly as she made her way home, feeling oddly drained. She didn't know what to think anymore and she feared she may be losing herself. Sure, her anxiety often made her feel scared and confused, sometimes insignificant, but she had support in that. And she knew, deep down, that her problems never turned out as bad as they seemed. She knew those feelings were irrational, even if she couldn't stop them. But this was different.

She had no way of knowing where this would go or who she could turn to.

Urushihara was her friend, but he was definitely keeping something from her. Shizuka was just as lost as she was in this whole ordeal. And now this guy at Sentucky's. Urushihara had warned her to stay away from him, but _he_ was warning her to stay away from _Urushihara_.

She thought she knew him. She thought she could trust him.

She walked on in silence, her feet carrying her along the familiar path home, twisting the orange band around her wrist. The friction of the fabric rubbing harshly against her skin was a weak distraction from her thoughts.

When she closed the front door behind her, Momoko went straight for the stairs. She ignored her father's questions of why she didn't seem to have bought anything even though she had said she was going to the store. She brushed past her two younger brothers as they trampled down the stairs, pausing to look at the strangely solemn expression on their sister's face. Maybe she could sleep this off. She only hoped Shizuka was handling things better than she was.

Meanwhile, the source of Momoko's stress was struggling with his own dilemma.

He might have even changed his mind.

Urushihara was sat in his usual spot at his computer desk, hunched over with his chin resting on his crossed arms. He stared at the screen, Shizuka's blog staring back at him. He had been posting updates on how far his studying and exams were going. Cringing, Urushihara lowered his head, burying his face in his arms. He was seriously considering it. He sat up again and closed the tab.

"Maou..." he didn't turned away from the screen.

"Hm?"

"What... what if I _did_ tell them?"

He could practically hear Maou's eyes narrow and his brow furrow.

"You're not going to tell me you already have, are you?"

"No..."

Maou sighed and put down his manga.

"You need to be careful with this. Remember, this isn't just about you, it concerns us too. _All_ of us."

It was still weird to think that King Satan was even taking his enemies' wellbeing into consideration, even if those enemies didn't agree with him. And yet, it was happening.

"I get that," Urushihara turned to face him but he couldn't meet his eyes, "It's just... everything could be so much easier..."

His voice was quiet and unsure. A few seconds passed before Maou said anything.

"Have you thought it through enough? Are you completely sure about it?"

"I don't _know_ , but..." frustrated, Urushihara ran a hand through his hair, leaving both eyes visible for a brief moment, wide with uncertainty, "Look, what if Emi and Suzuno are right? Maybe it _would_ be safer for them to know about me."

"And _maybe_ it would be safer if they _didn't_ , too. There's a lot of ways this could go. You need to be careful."

Urushihara thought for a minute.

"Were you careful with Sasaki finding out?"

Maou gave him a blank stare.

"Yeah, I think you're gonna wanna rethink whose fault it was that Chi found out about us."

"That's not what I mean!" Urushihara glared at him, his teeth clenched, "Once she had seen all of that, you didn't erase her memories. And when she asked you for details, you gave them."

"She didn't _want_ me to erase her memories."

Urushihara rolled his eyes, "The Great King Satan, falling to the will of a mere human teenager."

" _Regardless of that_ , Chi reacted pretty well to having that bomb dropped on her. So, can you be sure of how your friends will react?"

He hesitated, looking back at the laptop screen briefly. That was all Maou needed.

"Then don't tell them. At least, not yet. And besides, Chi knowing the truth was inevitable." Maou picked up his manga again.

"Maybe this is inevitable."

It came out as only a soft murmur, one that Maou didn't quite catch. With a sigh, Urushihara turned around again and closed his laptop.


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Sorry this is a day late, I just got two new kittens yesterday~ I've got some ideas/plans down for Opinions (the other one-shot collection) but I still need to work on it a bit. This chapter is kinda short and there's not much action in it but the next one will be a big one, trust me. I have a few more chapters planned out but not the entire fic so I need to figure out the next... act I guess? Anyway, here we go~!

* * *

Chapter 8

She had to talk to Shizuka.

A few days had passed since the night Momoko went to SFC, but now the conflicts in her mind had been thrown way out of proportion in just one moment. One short encounter. Earlier that morning, she had been walking home from the convenience store, grateful for any distraction from her inner torment, when she walked past a familiar blue-haired man.

She couldn't help but freeze when she looked up and saw him. He smiled at her, slowing down but not quite stopping.

"I hope you've taken my advice. After all, you can't trust someone who claims to be your friend yet keeps such an important part of their life secret."

"... What?" her voice shook.

He gave her a sidelong glance as he passed her by.

"He isn't who he says he is."

And he kept walking, most likely on his way to work, Momoko guessed. It took her a moment to shake herself out of her trance but once she did, she rushed home. She quickly put away the food she had bought and ran up the stairs to her room. She pretended not to hear her dad calling her name. She knew he had noticed how she'd been acting strangely in the last couple weeks but the strangeness surrounding Urushihara was of far greater concern, one that just couldn't wait.

The mere thought of confronting Urushihara now still made her gut clench, but she had to get this out. The only other person she could talk to about this was Shizuka. Feeling shaken and frightened, Momoko closed her door and curled up in her beanbag chair, trying to relax and calm her nerves before she pulled her laptop off the floor beside her. She took a deep breath and turned it on, hoping beyond hope that Shizuka was online.

She sat refreshing her dashboard over and over again. Urushihara was online, but she couldn't bring herself to talk to him, even just normally. And if she posted or reblogged anything, he would see. If he picked up on how she was avoiding him, if he asked her why, she might end up breaking.

By the time Shizuka appeared, almost an hour had gone by, but Momoko was glad she could finally get this off her chest. She sent an IM almost immediately.

 _Theres definitely somethin up with Hanzo_

On the other side of the screen, Shizuka frowned at the message.

 _Didn't we already establish that?_

 _I mean theres somethin really weird goin on_

Momoko took another deep breath then continued.

 _I talked to that guy from SFC. He said Hanzos not who he says he is_

 _The guy Hanzo specifically told us not to talk to?_

 _And why do you think he said that?_

Shizuka paused for a split second. She did have a point. But Urushihara was his friend, he _knew_ him. Didn't he?

 _Because this guy's a creep and could get you worked up over nothing?_

That only made it worse. If Urushihara really was lying to them, Shizuka was falling for it.

 _Think about it, what do we actually know about Hanzo? Hes never told us anythin about before he moved to Tokyo_

A minute passed. Had he given up? Was he thinking about it? Two minutes. Did he think she'd gone mad? Thre-

 _Maybe we should talk to him_

Momoko blinked in surprise at Shizuka's message. She still didn't like the sound of taking the direct route. But a couple of seconds later, another message came and she released the breath she didn't realise she'd been holding.

 _Even if it isn't about this. We need to meet up again soon and see if we can get anything out of him. Exams are almost over so let's make it next weekend, huh?_

 _Yea, all right. We'll talk it over later_

She was about to close the IM window, then one more message popped up.

 _I don't like this, you know. He's our friend_

She could practically see the anguished look on his face and hear the strained tone of his voice.

 _I don't either, but this is just getting too weird_

 _I guess you're right..._


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Ok, this chapter has a pretty big turn in it... Are you ready? Cuz I'm sure not. Btw, if you haven't already seen, I've posted the first part of the new one-shot collection 'Opinions'. Anyway, here we go...

* * *

Chapter 9

 _We need to catch up! How bout this weekend?_

Urushihara stared at the screen. His friends had just finished up their exams and Momoko was suggesting a meet up. His fingers tapped on the desk as he thought. He hadn't seen them recently, not for a couple of weeks, and he _was_ starting to miss them. Still, he hesitated to reply. He wanted to tell them the truth, but he wasn't sure how. Even just finding an opportunity to bring it up could be difficult. And getting them to believe him would no doubt be worse. Showing them his wings or his magic powers would convince them, but the chances of being in a safe enough position to reveal it to them, and only them, were slim.

 _I don't have to do it yet..._ he told himself.

But then again, he might end up blurting it out if he wasn't careful, and without thinking about who else could hear.

He could be careful. He had been careful so far, hadn't he? He could handle this. With a soft sigh, Urushihara typed his response.

Not too far away, Momoko felt a twinge of fear. She only hoped this would all work out.

And a little further still, Shizuka sat at his own laptop. Momoko confirmed their plans to meet and he grimaced. They had agreed not to bring it up, but he had a bad feeling. The days passed and he constantly found himself wondering what was really going on with Urushihara, and if they might find out sooner than they had expected.

When Urushihara hopped off the train at Shinjuku station, he found Shizuka and Momoko already waiting for him. Their conversation seemed to trail off as he approached them, Shizuka offering his usual relaxed smile and raising his hand in a small wave. Momoko, on the other hand, seemed somehow... different. Aside from the orange wristband she always wore, her outfit was completely void of the clutter of accessories that he had never seen her without. Her whole demeanour was off, actually. Her smile and cheerful greeting were too forced. There was the faintest shaking in her voice. And...

She didn't pat his head.

 _She always..._

He almost said something but they were already heading out of the train station and onto the busy streets. What had they been talking about before he got there? Shaking his head, Urushihara followed his friends out.

The day went by pretty much the same way it did every other time they went out together, but all three of them had something on their mind. Now that she knew there was something more to him, Momoko was noticing all the little things that Shizuka had tried to point out to her before. Urushihara always kept his head low. Sometimes he would casually slip around to one side while they were walking so that he was mostly out of sight from people walking by. He always seemed to be on guard, his eyes always shifting, but the way he talked was as calm and lazy as ever. Had he always been this way?

A police siren sounded a block or two away and both Momoko and Shizuka saw him perk up. His voice never wavered, his pace never changed. But he was listening. They could see that now. He was aware of everything going on around him.

After a couple of hours, Shizuka suggested taking the train to Hatagaya. Momoko and Urushihara both flinched, but neither refused. Momoko gave Shizuka a questioning look. What was he _doing_? He returned it with a steady, reassuring gaze. At that, Momoko tried to calm herself. She had to act like nothing was wrong.

Urushihara was thinking the same thing. Were they getting suspicious?

"Yeah, alright." His voice stayed level, indifferent, but something in the way his eyes narrowed unnerved Momoko.

They moved on then, walking back towards the train station. Apart from the tense atmosphere none of them wanted to acknowledge, everything was normal. They talked, they laughed, but it always faded into awkward silence until someone thought of a new topic. Even on the train.

The three of them silently agreed not to go to either MgRonald's or SFC, but Urushihara did lag behind for a brief second as they passed by. He glanced quickly into the window of MgRonald's, just to check if Maou was at the counter (he wasn't), then he turned his attention to SFC. This time, his gaze lingered on the man with blue hair who had warned Momoko. His little surveillance didn't go unnoticed.

Did he suspect something...?

Eventually, they ended up strolling along down the streets. Everything still seemed normal, despite the fact they all knew it wasn't, until Shizuka and Momoko's eyes locked. This was it. That look was a silent agreement to finally confront him. This couldn't keep going on.

It was quiet now, they had left the hustle and bustle of the city and were nearing a suburban area. Only a few other people walked down the road, and the occasional car drove by.

Now or never.

It was Shizuka who spoke up first.

"Hey, Hanzo?"

"Huh?"

Shizuka came to a stop, making Urushihara and Momoko stop with him. Urushihara looked up at him, one eyebrow raised in question, then at Momoko. Her head was turned away, and she was nervously twisting her wristband around her arm.

"... Hanzo, you've been acting kinda weird lately."

His head snapped back round to Shizuka at those words.

"How exactly?" he couldn't help the defensive tone from creeping into his voice.

"At first, it looked like it was just down to your social issues but you're avoiding more than just talking to people, it's like you're avoiding being seen altogether. The sound of sirens makes you tense up, and now that guy at the SFC..."

He took a captious step back, trying not to give away his rising panic.

"What about him?"

"I-I talked to him..." Momoko piped up, her voice shaking, "... Twice, now..."

Urushihara's eyes widened.

"You _what_? I told you not t-"

"And that's _all you told me!_ "

Both of the boys stared at her for a moment, too shocked to respond. Momoko never showed this much anger, and never so seriously. Shizuka lifted a hand towards her.

"Momo..."

"You never tell us anything! You never told us why we had to stay away from him. You never told us anything about yourself, you-"

"You don't know who this guy _is_ , you don't know wha-"

"We _barely_ know who _you_ are!"

This was too much. They were both red, their bodies rigid and their teeth clenched. The same thought running through both of their heads.

 _I thought I could trust you...!_

"Look, you're obviously hiding something, and that guy knows what it is."

"What did he tell you?"

His brow furrowed and he took a defensive stance, straightening up.

"Well, not nearly enough to go on, that's for sure. He just said that you're not who you say you are."

But Urushihara was no longer paying attention. He had noticed something. He had _sensed_ something.

Fear.

Momoko's fear.

This was the last thing he had wanted to happen...

Not a friend. He couldn't take magic from a friend.

All he could think to do was turn and run. Momoko was still shouting at him, though he didn't even try to hear what she was saying. Soon, he heard footsteps - she was following him. Another pair joined them, along with Shizuka's voice telling them to stop.

And now there was fear from him too.

He turned a corner, away from the quiet, closed off neighbourhood. He was sure they were near Sasazuka...

Wrong choice. There were more people here. Momoko and Shizuka were catching up to him.

Then there was a sharp screech from the other side of the street. A horn blaring. Screams. A crash.

The three friends stopped dead in their tracks, staring at the wreckage of the two cars and the crowd forming around them. For a moment, their fight was forgotten, but then Urushihara felt the immeasurable mass of fear and despair flowing into him.

 _Too much. This is too much..._

He kept running, looking for somewhere no-one would find him. Anyone nearby would be distracted by the car crash. He'd be safe, right? He'd be fine. Mere seconds later, his sense of security was shattered.

"Hanzo!"

She was even angrier now.

The street they found themselves on now was empty. He was right, anyone else in the area had run to see what the noise was.

He stopped suddenly and swung around to face her. At first, he didn't hear, or feel, the tearing of fabric behind him and he didn't notice the surge of magic inside him. His mind was racing and he couldn't focus on anything.

He was panting, his eyes filled with panic and sheer terror. He meant to say something but no words came when he saw the looks of horror and confusion on his friend's face. Then he felt it. A presence behind him that he usually missed so much. That only the right amount of human negativity could bring back in this world.

Shizuka caught up to them and froze just behind Momoko when he saw. He could only stare, his mouth gaping.

Wings.

Momoko reeled back with a loud shriek, stumbling as she did.

All emotion but concern and regret drained from Urushihara he took a step forward and reached out.

"Momoko, wait...!"

But she only backed away further, not taking her eyes off him. She bumped into Shizuka, who was rooted to the spot with shock. They were both so scared.

There was so much fear.

Too much.

Lucifer could not bring himself to move a single step closer. It would only make things worse.

Momoko finally shook herself from her daze.

With one last look at him, she ran.


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Well, that was a fun little chapter last week, now, wasn't it? Bring on the angst~ I don't really have much to say here so I guess we'll just get right to it

* * *

Chapter 10

All emotion was virtually gone. His wings instinctively folding inwards, Lucifer looked at Shizuka with the faintest air of caution. He didn't know what to do, his mind was blank. Completely blank. His eyes scanned the other boy's face, searching for something that would tell him he wouldn't bolt right after Momoko.

Shizuka didn't move. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the sleek, black wings that had sprung from his friend's back. And, like Lucifer, he couldn't think. It took a minute for his brain to even begin processing what he had just seen. All he felt was fear and confusion, which only made the magic stronger. Yet he stayed put, stuttering, trying to find the questions he wanted to ask, but nothing came to mind. Lucifer watched for a few seconds more before he managed to find his own voice.

"So, what? Aren't you gonna run, too?" he was shaking but pressed on, "... You're scared, aren't you?"

 _Just go._

"I-I guess..." Shizuka spoke in such a light tone Lucifer could only just make out what he was saying, "... I'm... I'm in shock..."

As Lucifer came nearer, closing his wings a little more, Shizuka continued to stare straight ahead. He didn't break that gaze until he felt his friend uncertainly laid a hand on his shoulder, when he finally dropped his head. Still, he couldn't quite look at him. Instead, he turned his eyes down to the ground between them.

"... Wh... What _are_ you...?"

Lucifer flinched, pulling his hand away. It was so direct. He pulled his wings protectively around himself, just enough so that Shizuka could still see his face, and avoided making eye contact. Now that Momoko and the other humans surrounding the car crash were gone, the levels of fear were falling and the magic sustaining his wings was weakening. Soon, he could dismiss them again and walk back to the apartment without attracting attention but for now, they provided a source of comfort. Familiarity. Safety. He sighed and looked up. Shizuka was facing him properly now, although his eyes were still questioning and he seemed to hold himself as far away from the creature he had thought was his friend as possible. But he was there. He hadn't left as soon as he could move again.

His words stung, though.

The fear gave way to concern and he could no longer hold his wings up. Letting them disappear, Urushihara carefully took another step towards Shizuka.

"You want the long or short version?"

"Uh..."

Urushihara shook his head slightly.

"I'll explain on the way."

"... To... where?"

"My place."

Urushihara began to slowly walk out of the neighbourhood they had found themselves in, turning back to reassuringly beckon to Shizuka. Hesitating for a moment, Shizuka followed but after only a few steps he stopped and unzipped his hoodie, making Urushihara raise an eyebrow.

"The w- Your wi..." he trailed off. He must have still been in shock, "... They ripped through the back of your shirt..."

He held up the hoodie and Urushihara took it with a shy smile.

"Thanks."

By the time they reached Villa Rosa, Shizuka had a rough idea of the situation. Urushihara and his roommates were demons from another world. They had come to Earth through a sort of portal known as a 'Gate' and were left without their magic unless they could gather energy from human fear. Things got complicated at the subject of _why_ they had gone through the Gate in the first place but that could be explained later. Right now, Urushihara needed to let to the others know what was going on, and Shizuka would have to come along, as a safety precaution if nothing else.

Urushihara barged into the apartment, removing Shizuka's hoodie and handing it back to him as he awkwardly followed him inside.

"Maou, we got a problem."

Maou stood up from the table at the sight of the stranger behind Urushihara and Ashiya turned away from the stove at his words.

"Shizuka Kusanagi." Urushihara hastily introduced his friend as he led him inside.

Maou went to greet him but then noticed the grim expressions on both of their faces.

"What's going on?" his tone turned serious.

"Sire..." Ashiya approached them and placed a hand on Urushihara's shoulder, turning him around enough to show the tears in his t-shirt. Maou's eyes widened in surprise as Urushihara shook Ashiya's hand off and shot them both a cold, firm look, confirming their suspicions.

"What about the girl? What was her name, Hamasaki?"

"She ran."

There was a genuinely worried edge to his tone, something neither Maou nor Ashiya heard from Urushihara often.

"I knew it was too soon for this...!" Maou muttered under his breath, but Urushihara caught it.

"That's not it," Urushihara sighed, "I lost control of my magic. And I couldn't get away from them in time before my wings came out."

"So, why didn't _you_ follow after her, then?" Ashiya turned his attention to Shizuka, who until now had been looking between them, totally lost.

"Me...? Uh, I-I was too scared to even _think_ let alone _move_..."

Maou stepped forward, giving Shizuka a comforting and sympathetic smile. He took some time to ask how much he knew already from whatever Urushihara had told him and, ever the kind-hearted soul, made sure he was handling the situation reasonably well. Once he knew all this, he turned back to Urushihara.

"Do either of you have any idea where Hamasaki could be right now?"

They both shook their heads.

"But at the very least, she doesn't have any proof of what she saw."

Urushihara sounded so different to what Shizuka was used to. Firm, certain and almost like he was making a report to his leader. He figured that role most likely went to Maou. Just as he was thinking that, though, he remembered.

"Wait, what about that weird SFC guy?"

The atmosphere changed in an instant. The three demons froze up for a short moment, Maou and Ashiya glaring down at Urushihara, who suddenly looked nervous.

"Urushihara..." Maou's voice was calm and steady, yet sharp, "What _exactly_ does Sariel have to do with all this...?"

There was a short pause as Urushihara prepared himself. Clearly, this Sariel really _was_ bad news. At least, he was to Maou.

"We were at SFC a while back and I told both of them to stay away from him. Apparently Momoko went to talk with him when she started getting suspicious of me."

Another pause. Maou glanced down, his hand covering his mouth in thought, then –

"Call Emi," he pointed at Urushihara, who nodded and went for his laptop. As he did so, Maou reached for the door handle, "I'm gonna get Su-"

The door opened before he finished speaking, before he even touched it, to reveal the girl in question standing there.

"I heard everything."


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

I guess we're kinda starting the next... "act" or something of the fic? I have three more chapters fully planned out after this one so I need to continue with planning. One of my classes at uni is over now so I only need to go in on Tuesdays and Fridays, but I still have work to do :/ If I need to, I might take a week or two-long hiatus from writing to focus on uni. Plus, that'll give me time to plan chapters. I'll keep you updated on that. Anyway, let's get back to the story~! This is a short one, btw. Quite a bit shorter than normal

* * *

Chapter 11

 _"This better be important. I have better thi-"_

"It _is_ ," the urgency in Urushihara's tone made Emi tense up, "Do you remember the people you and Sasaki saw me with? The girl, do you think you could recognise her?"

At the moment when Suzuno entered the apartment, Urushihara was already waiting for Emi to pick up her phone. Under other circumstances, this call would be nothing more than a short relief from boredom but now he had a real reason for calling her.

 _"Uh... Maybe? What's this about?"_

"They found out about me and it didn't go so well," he heard Emi take a breath to speak but cut her off. He didn't have time, "She ran off and we think she could've gone to Sariel. I need to check SFC."

 _"And why should I?"_

Urushihara gritted his teeth.

" _Because you're the Hero, aren't you?!_ Look, she's talked to him before and right now she probably trusts him a lot more than she trusts me. You're supposed to be protecting humans, right? So do your _job_!"

On the other end of the line, Emi huffed. He was right, she couldn't deny that. And she was already out instead of cooped up at home like Urushihara and, she assumed, the others.

 _"Alright, fine. But don't expect any more favours from me."_

"I won't. Just call me back if you see her... or Sariel."

He ended the call.

Just as he was turning back to join the others, he caught part of their conversation. Specifically, a question from Shizuka:

"So what exactly is the issue with this Sariel guy? Is he another demon or something?"

Urushihara looked up at this to be met with four pairs of eyes looking down at him. One was simply confused, while the other three glared.

"He's come up before and you didn't even explain who he _is_?"

"Really, Good Hanzo, I'd hoped you were more competent than _that_ , at least."

Urushihara felt his eye twitch.

"I've had a lot on my mind today, alright?"

With a sigh, Suzuno turned to their guest.

"Good Shizuka, let me explain... Sariel was one of the great archangels of Heaven. He came to Earth not long ago in order to retrieve the Hero's holy sword and attempted to slay the Devil and his cohorts himself. In doing so, he put the lives of the Hero, another of our friends and several humans in the city at risk. He betrayed his faith and the people who looked up to him. And after witnessing what he put Emilia and Good Chiho through that night, I highly doubt that your friend will be safe with him, especially knowing that she is close to one of the demons."

Shizuka blinked then looked back to Urushihara, not sure what to say. The room was quiet for a short while. Before anyone could break it and speak, though, Maou's phone rang.

"Hello? ... Emi? Wait, hold on a sec..."

Putting it on speaker, Maou set the phone down on the table between them.

"Have you found her?"

 _"First off, you're lucky I was near Hatagaya!"_ which only earned a few eye-rolls and sneers from the three demons, _"And second, I think so. I definitely saw Sariel inside. And there's a familiar-looking girl standing near the door. She looks a pretty nervous, too."_

Immediately, Urushihara jumped up.

"Is she wearing an orange wristband?"

There was a brief pause.

 _"Yeah, she is. What was her name again…?"_

"That's her. Momoko Hamasaki. Emi, keep her safe. We'll be right there."

 _"_ You _will be here? You? Wow, never thou-"_

But Urushihara had already hung up.


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Sorry for the lateness, guys, I've been busy again ^^' I'll most likely take that hiatus btw, my final assignments for uni are due in just over two weeks and I have two essays of 2500 words each to write before then. So I (probably) won't be updating either Misfit Together OR Opinions for a week or two. But hey, that should give me time to finish planning the rest of the chapters~ Ok, now, let's get back to the story!

(And to the guest reviewer Lokifer - thank you! I know exactly what you mean, OC stories can be hard to get into if they aren't done right. I'm glad mine have turned out good enough, though~ I have a lot of OCs but the others are all for original stories. These are my first inserts into a canon universe)

* * *

Chapter 12

Emi stood pouting for a brief moment. She shouldn't have to do this, it was his own damn fault if his friend had run off.

 _"You're the Hero, aren't you?! So do your job!"_

Ugh. She hated admitting when one of the demons was right. With a calming sigh, she gathered herself together and made her way over to the girl standing a few feet from the front entrance of SFC. Emi took note of the way she fiddled with her wristband and chewed her lip as she stared uneasily through the window; she was obviously nervous, which could be a good thing for her. It would be easier to persuade her not to go in if she was already hesitating.

"Um..." Emi approached and flashed a friendly smile when the girl turned to look at her, "Sorry to bother you. Are you... Momoko Hamasaki...?"

At the sound of her name, Momoko nodded and curiously took a few steps closer so she was right in front of Emi.

"My name's Emi Yusa. A... _friend_ of mine told me about you and I just wanted to talk with you about something."

She held back a grimace on "friend" and placed a hand on Momoko's shoulder to casually guide her away from the restaurant as she spoke.

"Uh...? A-a friend...?" Momoko stuttered, quickly glancing back into SFC's window then up at Emi.

Hearing the word "friend" again, Emi cringed. She waited a couple more seconds until she had brought Momoko far enough out of sight from anyone, namely Sariel, inside SFC.

"Yeah," she let a couple pass by before continuing, careful to keep her voice low, just in case, "... Urushihara."

Momoko immediately stiffened, now looking up at Emi with a frantic expression on her face.

"Urushihara...?"

Emi looked down solemnly, not noticing.

"I know you've learned about his true identity. I want t-"

"Are you the same as him?"

The question rendered Emi speechless for a moment. She hadn't stopped to think this might happen.

"Wh-what?"

"Are you some kind of... _monster_ too?" She was gripping her wristband.

"I-I... No, no, I'm not. I promise you that."

Emi held up her hands, trying to calm her. Momoko frowned. She didn't know if she should believe her.

"I swear. I'm human," she said softly, "Although I _am_ from the same world as him. Technically, we're enemies but I guess we've reached a truce, you could say. I know for a fact he's done a _lot_ of terrible things in the past but I'm certain that whatever he did to scare you, he didn't mean you any harm."

"B-but he... He was... He was so angry and..." she trailed off as she realised... she had no further argument. She didn't understand any of this. All she could remember was that Hanzo was furious and she was frightened. And Shizuka was-

"Shi'ka!"

"... Shi...?"

"Shizuka!" Momoko had fallen back into a state of panic, "I left Shizuka alone with him! Will he be ok? Could he hurt him?!"

"Well... 'Could', yeah," Emi had to be honest there, but she saw the fear on Momoko's face rise at her words, "But I don't think he _would_...!" and, under her breath, she muttered, "Even if he did, you can bet I'd make him regret it..."

Just as Emi was muttering to herself and Momoko was considering what she had said, two familiar male voices called out.

"Momo!"

"Momoko!"

She froze at the first of the two.

In an instant, she was almost bowled over. Suddenly, there were arms clinging to her and a weight on her shoulder. She blinked a few times in surprise and saw a mass of purple against her chin. Momoko pushed him away with a shriek. Urushihara stood before her, looking distressed and still trying to catch his breath. Behind him, Shizuka was also panting lightly.

"I-I'm sorry... I guess I shouldn't..." Urushihara raised a hand and took a step back, his eyes dropping to the ground.

Further down the street, Maou, Ashiya and Suzuno were following them.

"I'd say Urushihara could stand to try moving that fast at home if he has the energy to do so..." Ashiya mumbled.

His voice trailed off. Maou and Urushihara stopped, too, all three of them looking at Momoko uncertainly as Shizuka came forward to try and comfort her. She stared back at them, confused.

"You're giving off a lot of negative energy right now, y'know…" Maou said through a forced smile, trying to lighten the mood a bit, "Are we really that scary...?"

The second those words left his mouth, something clicked in Momoko's brain.

"You idiots!" Emi snapped, coming forward and thus unintentionally giving Momoko an opportunity to slip away, "What are you thinking just running in out of nowhere like that?!"

Urushihara, Maou and Ashiya cowered under her glare for a brief moment before Suzuno spoke up.

"Good Emi, please. We are in _public_. And besides, there are far more important matters to attend to."

Emi, Urushihara, Maou, Ashiya and Shizuka watched as Suzuno turned her head away from them. They followed her gaze to the front entrance of SFC.

"She went inside."

Urushihara, clearly worried, gritted his teeth.

"I warned her not to go near him, why couldn't she just listen to me? Then we wouldn't be in this mess...!

Emi scoffed.

"Oh, come on! You can't possibly expect her to trust you now, after she's seen what you really are."

"I didn't _mean_ for her to see!" He meant to snap back at her but it came out more as a childish whine.

"Regardless of your intentions, Good Hanzo," Suzuno was much gentler in the way she spoke to him, "The damage is done and now we need to fix things. I would suggest you all return to Good Sadao's apartment for now and let me speak with her alone."

"What?"

Urushihara began to protest but Suzuno held up a hand to silence him.

"She clearly won't respond well to you," she turned to Maou and Ashiya, "And I suspect she already figured out that you are both demons as well from your remark about 'negative energy'. On top of that, she is unlikely to trust Good Emi or even Good Shizuka now that she associates them with you."

"I'm not gonna just leave now, Su. She's _my_ friend, got it?"

"Hanzo... Maybe she's right."

Urushihara was honestly surprised at Shizuka. He'd expected him to be on _his_ side in this.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Well, look at what just happened! She really isn't gonna listen to you. And what am I supposed to say to her? I barely understand any of this myself! Kamazuki's probably the best candidate right now."

He didn't argue. He didn't want to admit that they were right, that his friend didn't trust him anymore.

"... Fine..."

"C'mon, man, it's only for a shor-"

"I said ' _fine_ '! Let's just go... Suzuno, you better know what you're doing."

His voice was harsh but his eyes were scared. Suzuno couldn't help but feel sympathetic. She nodded.

"I will do my best. I promise you."

The boys started to walk away, Urushihara falling behind slightly. Once they were out of earshot, Emi spoke up.

"I'm going with you."

"No," Suzuno's tone was firm, "I already said it, she associates you with the demons. She may not deem you trustworthy. You told her you knew him, I assume?"

"Well, yeah..."

"And that you are sworn enemies?"

"Of course I did."

"And then he appeared soon after. She might suspect that you were lying. Please, Emilia, allow me to make an attempt, at least. And quickly, before Sariel drives her away from us as well."

Emi thought for a moment. Maybe she was right.

"Alright. I'm counting on you, Suzuno."


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Back to the trashbird's friendship struggles~ I didn't get to do much in terms of planning future chapters during the hiatus but I have a lot of free time now so I hopefully should get something figured out soon. I do have next week's chapter properly planned out at least. Btw, my _obsession_ with Devil has pretty much passed but that in no way means I'm not gonna keep being active in the fandom. I'll finish this fic, I'm still reading the light novels and manga (and Urushihara x Reader fics cuz I'm trash) and I still like to blog about it on Tumblr a little so don't worry. I _might_ have another Devil fic idea, probably a simple slice-of-life sort of thing for my Demon Family AU. And even if I don't fic it, I still like building the AU anyway. If anyone's curious my current obsessions are the musical 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Codename: Kids Next Door (I rewatched the whole series over the last week and I'm feeling so nostalgic...) Ok, shut up, Ly, you've got a fic to write...

(Also, one more note I'm adding after I've already written a bit of this, I just noticed how similar Momoko and Suzuno's last names are...! That was not intentional but I like it for some reason. And this chapter is ending up fitting really well with my latest Opinions one-shot)

* * *

Chapter 13

Suzuno's first instinct upon entering SFC was to locate Sariel. From just within the front entrance, she quickly spotted him behind the counter. Thankfully, he was distracted by his customers and didn't notice her. Nor had he noticed Momoko, who was nervously stood a few feet in front of Suzuno, clearly looking at him. It seemed like she was trying to mentally prepare herself to approach him. Her brow was furrowed, her shoulders slumped and she bounced uneasily on her heels. She was twisting an orange wristband around her arm.

Just as the girl was about to take a step closer, Suzuno came over to stand at her side with what she hoped was a friendly and reassuring expression on her face.

"Excuse me...?" she gently touched Momoko's arm to get her attention, "Miss Hamasaki, is it? I am Suzuno Kamazuki."

Momoko's eyes widened in familiarity and Suzuno felt her heart sink. She knew what that meant.

"You were outside... W-with the..."

Suzuno closed her eyes and her voice softened so as not to be heard by the people around them.

"With the demons, yes."

Her eyes opened again and she gave Momoko a solemn look. Momoko bit her lip and her eyes fell to the floor. She still wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing, or who she should listen to.

"But..."

Momoko lifted her head suddenly when Suzuno spoke again.

"I am not exactly ' _with_ ' the demons. Not in the way that you are thinking. Or, I suppose, in most ways."

"You're not making any sense. Just... j-just tell me what you want..."

Her eyes flickered over to Sariel once more then back to the floor. She shuffled her feet anxiously. Suzuno felt a pang of sympathy for the girl. She was scared and lost, and only wanted something or someone she could be completely sure of.

"I apologise. Let me explain - at this point, I would consider myself to be a more neutral party in this whole ordeal, although I _was_ formerly on the side of the Church and the enemy of the demons. That is, I still am on the side of the Church, but I have rejected a few of their... methods."

Momoko was momentarily distracted by her words. Taking the opportunity, Suzuno carefully turned them both away from the counter and led Momoko closer to the door. She had to limit the chances of Sariel seeing either of them and keep out of earshot of the surrounding customers.

"You see, I have reached a... an _agreement_ , we shall say, with the demons. While I would have no complaints in doing away with them in an instant should I need to, at this time they are living quite peacefully in this world," she brought them both to a halt and her gaze met Momoko's, "And I have found that since meeting you and Good Shizuka, Good Hanzo has shown signs that he could change for the better. To put it bluntly, he likes the two of you. He _cares_ about you. I haven't seen this side of him before. And I want to see it grow."

She was now stood facing Momoko, subtly looking past her at Sariel. He still hadn't seen them.

Momoko tugged on her wristband.

"I-I... I don't know..." she said shakily.

"It must be hard to take all of this in at once. I understand your uncertainty, Good Momoko," she gripped Momoko's shoulders, firm yet also protective, and gave a small nod in Sariel's direction, "But I must insist that you refrain from contacting _him_ any longer. He can't be trusted. I trusted him once. Please don't let yourself fall into that trap after me."

"But... is Hanzo really any better? Can I trust _him_?"

Suzuno opened her mouth then closed it again, hesitating. _Could_ she trust him?

"... I can't say for sure. His past would suggest he _can't_ be trusted, but then again... I'm still getting to know him myself. And I keep learning things about him I never expected. He almost seems like a different person entirely now. At least compared to the stories I used to hear back home. Maybe you can."

"I want to..."

Momoko was averting her eyes again, apparently talking more to herself than to Suzuno.

"What's most important right now is that you stay away from Sariel. That you stay _safe_. How you feel towards Good Hanzo can wait, if needs be."

That was the first step.

"... I guess..."

She looked back up and Suzuno finally let a small smile grace her lips. She nodded, not noticing the light blush that was now dusting Momoko's cheeks.

Suddenly, she stepped back and frowned.

"But... I don't think I could talk to him yet. Hanzo, I mean. I wanna think things over first. You're not gonna make me see him, right?"

"Of course not," Suzuno said gently, "I won't pressure you. As long as you don't go back to Sariel again, I am satisfied. But, please, do speak with Good Hanzo eventually. He is worried about you."

Momoko took a shaky breath and nodded, then followed Suzuno out of the restaurant.


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Hey, guys, sorry this is a day late ^^' My sleep schedule has been completely off for the last few days. But here's the next chapter~! I got some planning done for future chapters, btw. And I'm considering bringing in my headcanon that Suzuno is aro/ace... At this point it feels like it might not quite be relevant enough but hey, we'll see. I want to mention it at the very least. I just love ace and aro headcanons a lot :/ Anyway, let's get on with the story!

* * *

Chapter 14

The air was thick with uncertainty as the demons made the trek back to the apartment with Emi a few steps ahead of them, having insisted on making sure they didn't immediately turn back to confront Momoko the minute she left them. Walking nervously at Urushihara's side was Shizuka, his hands stuffed in his pockets. While Maou, Ashiya and Emi took the lead in uncomfortable silence, he kept his eyes fixed on his friend.

Shizuka watched Urushihara closely. His long hair hid his face so it was impossible to read his expression. His head stayed down, as per usual, and his arms hung limply at his side. Only his fingers kept curling into fists and relaxing again, the one sign that told Shizuka he was stressed. At first, Shizuka wasn't sure if he should say anything. He knew that sometimes it was better to leave him to his thoughts, but this didn't feel like the right time to be stuck inside your own mind. Before too long, though, Urushihara began to mutter under his breath. And Shizuka knew him well enough to know that, even if his voice was quiet and his eyes were looking down, he wanted someone to listen. That just having his words be acknowledged was comfort enough.

"This is why I didn't want to say anything... I didn't want you to know..."

When he heard that, Shizuka smiled a little sadly to himself. He couldn't help but think maybe it really _would_ have been better if they never found out. He let Urushihara continue.

"But I guess you would've found out sooner or later," he sighed, "I just wish it didn't happen like it did. We wouldn't have this problem if I could've _told_ you instead of... _shown_ you..."

As he rambled on, his voice rose and became more and more exasperated. Shizuka tried to listen and just let him get it out but eventually he had to interrupt.

"Hanzo, you need to stop."

Urushihara bit his lip, cutting himself off. He was quiet for a moment.

"... It's true, though," he lifted his head enough to look at Shizuka, his face as stoic as ever, "Everything that I was trying to avoid happened."

Shizuka didn't return his gaze. He kept his eyes forward. Urushihara faltered a bit, not sure what he could be thinking, until he saw him frown.

"Would you really want us to not _know_ you? Like, would you really be ok with us never _actually_ knowing who you are? 'Cause y'know, we were already starting to feel like you were hiding something. It wouldn't have taken much more for us to start coming up with crazy conspiracy theories about you."

He had a point. But Urushihara was stubborn.

"Tsk... You know 'Hanzo Urushihara', you don't need to know Lucifer," he turned away again, "You wouldn't want to, anyway, trust me."

"And how would you know what I want, huh? Or what Momoko wants, for that matter?"

No response. He had struck a nerve, clearly. He decided to steer the conversation back to its original topic.

"Anyway, Kamazuki was right when she said the damage was done. All we can do now is hope for the best, y'know?"

"... I doubt that will help any. I won't be surprised if this whole friendship ends here. But, hey, it was nice while it lasted."

A tell-tale sign Urushihara's anxiety was getting the better of him once again - his sarcastic tone didn't do much to hide that from his best friend. Shizuka instantly softened.

"You couldn't help what happened today. It's not your fault if you lost control of your powers or whatever. You were panicking, you were mad and you got overwhelmed. And you can't help the way Momoko reacted."

They both went silent again. Ahead of them, Emi, Maou and Ashiya continued on, completely oblivious. Then...

"... Thanks..."

Neither of them spoke again for a short while until Shizuka felt a spark of curiosity that he just needed to voice. He wasn't sure that he should ask this at such a time but maybe it would get rid of the tense atmosphere they'd steeped themselves in.

"So, uh..." he stuttered slightly, getting Urushihara's attention, "I still don't really get all of this. What's the story with you guys...? I mean, I know you three are demons and Yusa and Kamazuki are with the Church but... well, _who are all of you_?"

For whatever reason, this made Urushihara smirk a little slyly after their somber conversation. He gave Shizuka a sidelong glance then cast his eyes over to the group a few feet in front of them.

"Would you believe Maou is Satan?"

Shizuka's eyes went wide.

"You mean when Kamazuki was talking about 'slaying the Devil' she literally meant... the _Devil_...? _He's_...?"

Every last drop of tension melted away and Urushihara could only laugh as he began to recount the story. How he and Ashiya had been amongst the Great Demon Generals in Maou's army, how he had been 'killed' by the hot-headed girl who now seemed like nothing more than an annoyance to them and how he had joined Olba in an attempt to do away with all of them. How, in the end, he had returned to Maou's side and remained loyal to him ever since, despite everything.

"Well, that explains why you hate being in public too much," Shizuka tipped his head back slightly, thinking.

There was a pause.

"Hey, can I ask you something...?"

"You got a lot o' questions, don't ya?"

It seemed like Shizuka was really coming to terms with the idea of being friends with a demon. So what could he possibly be hesitating to ask at this point?

"I wanna know..." he craned his neck back a little further, looking up at the sky, "... What's it like being able to fly?"

"... I don't think I could describe it..."

Urushihara closed his eyes and almost felt the wind carry him off right there and then. It was a feeling he missed so much. Sometimes he wanted nothing more than to just take off. Not to _leave_. No, just to _fly_.

"I used to go free-flying whenever I could... It's amazing, like you're totally weightless, everything else seems so insignificant... And you're in complete control..."

He opened his eyes to see that Shizuka had closed his. He was imagining it for himself.

"Hey!"

They were both jolted back into reality by Emi's voice breaking the silence and looked up to see they were approaching Villa Rosa.

"Kusanagi," Emi strode over to Shizuka, looking stern, "Be careful around these guys, alright? And maybe try and keep _that one_ in check if you can." She nodded towards Urushihara.

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?!" he snapped.

"Exactly what I _said_ ," she glowered at him then turned back to Shizuka, "Anyway, I'm pretty sure Suzuno will bring Hamasaki around so don't worry too much about her."

Once she had gone, Maou called down from halfway up the staircase.

"Hey, Kusanagi, you wanna stay for something to eat?"

"No, thanks," Shizuka waved a hand, "I gotta catch a train soon if I'm gonna get back to Kanagawa on time. I'll see you guys next time."

He turned to walk away and Maou and Ashiya made their way inside, but Urushihara stopped him.

"Are you really alright with all of this?"

"I guess it does feel a little weird. And it hasn't fully hit me yet. But I think I can get used to it. And besides, I may not look it, but I'm the type to get pretty attached to people. It takes a lot to shake me," he threw an arm around Urushihara's shoulders, "And if I know Momoko, she'll come round eventually. It might take some time, but she'll get there."

They smiled at each other, neither one really sure if he was right but still, they wanted it to be true and that was good enough.

They just had to hope for the best.


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

So I haven't figured out any specifics for chapters after this one, I just have a few plot points to get to and an idea for the ending. What do people think of me bringing in Suzuno being aro/ace? (That's aromantic _and_ asexual) Tbh, I'll probably still use it just cuz I have an idea for a scene and I love my ace headcanons a lot... ANYWAY, I need to plan out the rest of the story over the next week but let's get on with this week's chapter~ This chapter contains FRIENDSHIP and A CUTE SHY LUCI

* * *

Chapter 15

It was partially out of sincere concern for the girl that Suzuno accompanied Momoko back home, but also partially to be sure that she didn't turn back to Sariel or find some other way to break her promise. The walk there was quiet and, to Momoko, uncomfortably awkward. Suzuno, however, was content to stay silent. She had nothing more to say after their conversation and besides, Momoko may need time to herself to gather her thoughts. She expected that was the case, at least.

She was right that Momoko was thinking about their talk. She wasn't right to leave her alone with her thoughts. As she walked, Momoko fidgeted with her wristband over and over. Was she really doing the right thing? She didn't know Urushihara as well as she had thought. He had kept something huge from her and clearly had some kind of a bad reputation back on whatever world he had come from. On the other hand, though, she knew this... _Sariel_ guy even less. And he was kinda creepy, she had to admit. Maybe, she mused, the safest option was to just stick with Suzuno. She glanced uneasily at the young women beside her. She knew practically nothing about her, only that she was somehow connected to the both of them. Her gaze lingered for a few seconds before Suzuno looked at her curiously and their eyes met. Starting to blush, Momoko turned away sharply.

Suzuno thought nothing of it and shrugged, calmly turning her eyes forward again.

It was strange to think how everything had seemed perfectly normal that morning. Of course, Momoko knew there was something up with Urushihara, but she could never have expected he would turn out to be a _demon_. She kept wondering if she would wake up in the morning to find that the whole thing was an anxiety-induced dream brought on by worrying so excessively about him.

She continued on in a daze, soon forgetting Suzuno was even there.

She still didn't know who he really was, or who any of these other people were, or where they all came from. And what about Shizuka? He had been with Urushihara when he appeared outside SFC, hadn't he? If he was with them, they had to be safe, right...? Then again, these were demons. She should remain cautious. They could've put him under a spell, brainwashed him, _anything_. She twisted her wristband again. It was almost rubbing her skin raw today.

The sun was beginning to set as they made their way through Shibuya, still not speaking. Momoko barely noticed it. Suzuno may have commented on how it was getting dark, but she wasn't listening. Although she did occasionally look up at her, wondering who - and what - exactly this woman really was, Momoko had lost touch with the world around her. Her feet carried her along the familiar route automatically and Suzuno followed beside her without a word.

It wasn't much later that she was awoken from her stupor by a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Will you be ok?"

"Huh...?"

She blinked in surprise and looked up to see that she had come to a halt outside her own house and not even noticed. She pressed a hand to her head for a second then turned to face Suzuno, who was stood behind her, frowning. In an instant, Momoko was blushing again. She bowed, maybe a little too deeply for just being walked home, and words began tumbling from her mouth as she struggled to calm herself.

"Oh! Yeah, I'll be fine, don't worry! Thank you so much for talking to me...! A-and I'm sorry I was so rude the whole way here, I didn't say anything to you at all..."

"It's quite alright, I understand," Suzuno smiled and bowed her head, "I'm sure you have a lot to think over right now. Just remember, do not speak a word of the truth to anyone. Not unless one of us deems it acceptable. For you own safety as well as ours."

"O-of course not! I won't tell a soul, you can count on me! Um..." Momoko took a step backwards to open the gate while still facing Suzuno, "Thanks again. Goodnight, Miss Kamazuki..."

She hurried inside, leaving Suzuno politely waving goodbye before turning back towards Sasazuka again. When Suzuno entered the courtyard of Villa Rosa, a familiar face peered down at her from the window of room 201. The boy stood and rushed for the door as she climbed the stairs.

Urushihara was waiting for her as soon as she opened the door.

"Good Hanzo," she nodded to him in greeting.

She didn't stop, but let him trail behind her. He didn't waste a single second.

"How did it go?"

"I did what I could, nothing more."

That was not satisfying in the slightest. Suzuno opened her door and entered the room with Urushihara following behind her. He didn't bother to shut the door behind him and he didn't stop for breath.

"That doesn't tell me anything. C'mon, what happened? This concerns me more than you, anyway. I need details. _Now_."

Huffing, Suzuno turned to him.

"She has promised not to speak with Sariel anymore," this elicited a sigh of relief from Urushihara, "However, she is still reluctant to speak with _you_ again, Good Hanzo."

Urushihara tensed and his eyes went wide.

"And you didn't try to change her mind? Wasn't that the whole point of you talking to her in the first place?!"

Suzuno scoffed and rolled her eyes, shooting him a stern glare.

"Really, now, don't you think you need to consider _her_ feelings more at this time?"

He went quiet, looking down. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned one shoulder against the wall, angling his body away from her. Suzuno took as this as a defiant stance and went to continue speaking but he interrupted her, his eyes staying fixed on the floor and his voice soft.

"You're right."

Suzuno stopped. She watched him for a moment, trying to read his body language, his face, his tone better this time. He was clearly angry at her (or was it at Momoko? Or... at himself...?) but he also seemed... guilty. Almost ashamed, even. This was different from when he got himself caught in that ridiculous scam. When Maou had cornered him back then, he was only scared. For himself. But now he was showing real concern, and regret at acting selfishly. There was something reassuring in that. Unsure of what to say, Suzuno stood and looked at him. After a moment of silence, Urushihara spoke up again, but he still didn't meet her eyes. Like he was too shy or embarrassed to say these words directly to her.

"... I'm just scared I'm gonna lose my friend... Especially when it happened so fast..."

 _I'm still getting to know him myself. And I keep learning things about him I never expected._

Suzuno thought back to her conversation with Momoko. She had never thought that the Demon General Lucifer would think and act this way. There was something so surreal about the entire situation; this young boy, who was so desperate to reconnect with his friend after a horrible misunderstanding, had once laughed with the most disgusting delight at the mere thought of a human lying dead at his feet.

 _He almost seems like a different person entirely now._

He was so much more complex than she had presumed and she wondered what other layers he kept hidden underneath all the sarcasm and laziness.

Guessing that she wasn't going to respond, Urushihara pushed himself off of the wall and began to shrink away from her, moving towards the door, mumbling as he did.

"Sorry..."

"Wait."

She took a few steps closer, raising a hand to him and he stopped, slowly turning back to face her with one eyebrow raised in question.

"I want to help," Suzuno said, "This is the first time I've seen you show any sign that you genuinely care for someone beside yourself. If these friends of yours can bring that side of you out, I want to see it. I want you to care about people. I want to help you."

Caught off guard by her kindness, Urushihara stuttered slightly before he answered.

"U-uh... Thanks, Su..."

He couldn't help but feel awkward. He wasn't used to this sort of treatment.

Suzuno stopped him once more as he went to leave.

"But... please, do give her some time. Be patient and things will work out."

"... Yeah. I will."

He left the room with a small smile on his face. That is, until Suzuno snapped out of her sympathetic state to shout at him.

" _And would you close the door behind you?!_ "


	17. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Aaahhh, this is late...! Sorry, guys, I wasn't getting very far with planning new chapters but I've finally come up with a couple more and some ideas for where to go next. Aro/ace Suzuno is definitely gonna happen, btw. Anyway, here's some Momoko and Shizuka for you today~

* * *

Chapter 16

She hadn't blocked him or anything. He supposed that was a good sign. But she still wasn't answering his messages.

Suzuno had warned him not to push her, but even so Urushihara was getting more and more nervous. He'd heard from Shizuka earlier that morning; Momoko had responded to his messages as usual but the moment he brought up Urushihara, she was gone. He believed Suzuno when she said that if he gave her time then things would work out, but he couldn't help but feel annoyed. It had been a week since Suzuno had spoken to Momoko and he still hadn't heard a word from her. He was getting anxious.

He knew he couldn't expect her to just accept something so big so suddenly. He knew Shizuka was still coming to terms with it, too. He just had a different way of dealing with it. But it scared him to think she would flat-out refuse to talk to him. It meant she might _never_ talk to him again...

But today could be a step in the right direction.

Shizuka had convinced Momoko to meet up with him, as long as Urushihara wasn't there. For a split second, he had considered going anyway, but he quickly shook that thought from his head. That would only tell her that she really couldn't trust him. She might turn and leave as soon as she saw him. He needed to back off for a while, like Suzuno told him to.

Outside Shinjuku station, Momoko was waiting. She was nervous, of course, but it lessened the blow to know it was only Shizuka for now. It spiked when she saw him walking towards her, after all, she knew exactly why he had wanted to meet, but after they greeted one another the next words out of his mouth reassured her a little.

"We can just hang out and relax for a while. No need to get into all the weird stuff yet."

That was exactly what she needed right now. She nodded once and they left the station. She soon found herself falling back into her old cheerful demeanour as they wandered around and chatted about nothing in particular. But acting so casual when they both knew what was really going on proved difficult. Shizuka tried to bring up Urushihara in passing, but Momoko would change the subject every time.

"He misses you, y'know."

She visibly tensed up, then forced a smile and pointed out a café across the street.

"Hey, remember that place? They had pretty good ice cream the last time w-"

"Yeah," Shizuka's voice fell flat, "The last time we went there with _Hanzo_."

She didn't answer. She didn't even look at him. She stood there for a few seconds, still turned towards the café, then she started walking in the opposite direction. Frowning, Shizuka followed behind her. He was trying to be helpful but it seemed like she didn't want to be helped. When he caught up with her, he noticed the look on her face - he could tell her teeth were gritted behind her lips, her eyes were staring straight ahead and her head was tilted down. A pang of guilt hit him.

He laid a hand on her shoulder and she stopped but didn't turn around. Shizuka shifted to stand in front of her.

"Look, the problem isn't gonna go away if you ignore it. You're just getting yourself even more stressed," he said softly but Momoko stayed quiet, "What exactly are you worried about here?" Still no response. "What did Kamazuki say to you?"

She closed her eyes and sighed, then met his eyes.

"She said that the demons weren't doing anything wrong right now, but she knows they could still do something..."

"Like what?"

"I don't know!" she threw her hands up in exasperation, "I mean, she did think that Hanzo being friends with us is a good thing but..."

There were too many thoughts circling around in her head for her to focus on one thing. Shizuka knew how hard it could be for her to process this much information so he waited. Being patient was a skill he had come to find useful in these situations.

"Mostly," her hand went to her wristband, "I'm just confused. I don't know who I'm supposed to trust. Hanzo lied to us and kept secrets from us, Kamazuki and Yusa could both be lying too... but there's definitely something wrong about that Sariel guy..."

"Well, can't you trust me, at least...?"

"Mnn... I know I can, but..." she glanced aside, "You've been around them and what if they've just, like... convinced you to believe them?"

"I guess I can understand that..."

"... I want to trust Kamazuki, though..." Momoko mumbled and Shizuka smirked.

"Any reason why you'd trust _her_ specifically?"

"Oh, shut up!" she pouted, but a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Sorry," Shizuka said with a chuckle, "Anyway, Hanzo's our friend, right?"

"... Maybe."

"He kept his secret because he didn't want to cause any trouble or drive us away..."

"Too late..."

"He might not have been _able_ to tell us. What happened was a freak accident."

There was silence for a moment as Momoko thought.

"... I'm still too scared to talk to him."

"He really wants to talk to you again."

"I know," Momoko said quietly, "I got his messages... I just want to wait a little longer."

"You swear you'll talk to him eventually though, right?"

"I swear."

He only hoped she'd keep that promise.

Now there was a need to release the tension. The two friends kept walking through Shinjuku and towards Shibuya. Their conversation changed course and this time, they relaxed for real. That is, they relaxed until Shizuka took note of how far they had walked - it wouldn't take much longer for them to reach Hatagaya. Momoko hesitated at the suggestion. Was he trying to urge her towards Sasazuka?

"I'm not gonna make you see Hanzo, I already said I wouldn't. But... maybe it would help some to introduce you to Maou. Hanzo's roommate...? He was there when we al-"

"His roommate?" Momoko stopped in her tracks, "So he's one of the demons?"

"Well... Yeah, he is, but he's actually pretty cool..."

Momoko frowned. They walked on and soon passed by the station. MgRonald's was just around the corner. She stopped before they reached it.

"No," Momoko shook her head, "I can't talk to him before I talk to Hanzo. All I really know about him is that he's a _demon_... I can't just go up to him and talk to him normally when I know that."

Shizuka looked at her for a second then slowly nodded.

Unbeknownst to them, a certain blue-haired man watched them walk by from inside SFC.


	18. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

I AM LATE AGAIN UGH. This time I have a good excuse, I was at a con over the weekend and post-con crashes are tough. My throat's still super sore from shouting/screaming/singing/talking/laughing way too much... But I'm more awake tonight so time for writing. Tbh, I might as well shift my update schedule - instead of Saturday or Sunday, I'll make it Sunday or Monday. Ok? Ok. And btw, if any of my readers are also into musical theatre, I'm thinking of doing a one-shot/ficlet collection for 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee soon-ish. Now, let's get to the Urushihara/Suzuno bonding (and the aro/ace Suzuno I've been talking about)

(And I just want to add... God, this is such a personal chapter for me)

* * *

Chapter 17

 _Give it time, man, it's gonna work out..._

He had to keep reminding himself. Shizuka had told Urushihara that he was meeting up with Momoko today to talk, and he was waiting not-so-patiently at home to hear from him. It was hard not to fret over it and he struggled to distract himself. Ashiya was getting more and more agitated by the second. He'd already endured listening to the shut-in's strained mumbling while he was on his laptop and eventually he snapped at him.

"What is it with you today? This excessive whining is starting to get on my nerves, even more so than before."

Urushihara groaned again.

"I can't take this anymore...! I keep seeing things online that remind me of Momo or wanting to tell her something but she won't talk to me! I really hope Shizuka's making some progress..."

"Then get off of the computer," Ashiya immediately the glare Urushihara threw at him for that, "Don't you have other things to occupy yourself with? Try something that _won't_ make you think of your problem."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes but Urushihara did as he was told and closed down the laptop. Turning away, he picked up his PASTA and leaned his elbows on the table in the middle of the room. It seemed like it was working at first but his bottled-up frustration began to rise to the surface after a short time and Ashiya was soon treated to some far less discreet angry ranting. In the end, he dropped the paper he had been reading and stood up, causing Urushihara to look up suddenly.

"Huh? Where ya going?"

"Anywhere but here," Ashiya said as he put on his shoes, "I'll leave you to work through your inner turmoil alone."

With that last sarcastic quip, he left. Urushihara returned to his game, only to growl in annoyance and switch it off, even going so far as to throw it against the wall. It was durable enough to just bounce and land on the floor without any real damage, but he wasn't paying any attention. Instead, he took a book from the shelf and tried to focus on the words and lose himself in the story, but to no avail. After a while, he dropped the book and it clattered to the floor. Urushihara groaned once more and pressed the palms of his hands to his face.

Of course, the apartment's paper-thin walls did nothing to keep the sound of his distress from travelling and soon there was a soft and polite knock at the door, following swiftly by the door creaking open. It was fairly normal for Suzuno to appear like this on occasion, which was the reason why she felt no need to wait to be let in. She knew Urushihara was the only one home, having heard Ashiya leave before and knowing that Maou was at MgRonald's. Because of this, Urushihara hardly reacted to her. He only glanced at her as he ran his hands down his face and sighed.

"I could hear you from next door," she said plainly, "What is going on? Did something happen?"

"Nah, not exactly," he rested his head in one hand, "Shizuka's out with Momoko right now and I still haven't heard a thing from him."

Suzuno's eyes narrowed.

"You're trying to contact her? Before she is comfortable with it?"

Urushihara flinched.

"I haven't tried to message her again or anything, and it was Shizuka's idea anyway! He thought it could help if he talked to her..."

"But even so, you shouldn't have agreed to it, Good Hanzo."

She continued to glare at him and he avoided looking at her, lowering his arm and leaning further forward on the table. It was becoming clear to her that she wasn't going to get through to him. She let her eyes wander around the apartment until they fell on the closed laptop on the desk by the window.

"Why aren't you on your computer? Or at least playing one of your games?" her gaze moved to the PASTA lying on the floor.

"I'm too distracted right now with worrying..."

They both went quiet for a few seconds, neither one looking at the other. Not particularly out of any discomfort or anything, they were just used to each other by now. Then...

"... Do you happen to have romantic feelings for Good Momoko?"

She said it so casually and Urushihara instantly snorted with laughter. Suzuno blushed and gritted her teeth, embarrassed.

"And what exactly is so funny?"

"Sorry, I'm sorry, jeez..." he was still laughing, just a bit, "No. No, I am _not_ interested in her like that."

Suzuno folded her arms and huffed.

"Well, it _is_ a difficult concept to grasp, in some ways, the idea of 'crushes' as it is called in this world. You can't expect me to be able to just _know_."

"Yeah, no, I get that, but..." he suddenly stopped as he realised what she had said, "Wait... the idea o- Are you serious?"

Suzuno looked slightly surprised.

"Uh... Yes. Yes, I am serious," her tone turned curious, "Why do you ask? I mean, a person truly falling in _love_ is surely a rare thing... I-is it not?"

Urushihara raised in eyebrows, unsure of what to say. Did this mean what he thought it meant?

 _Is she...?_

Suzuno carried on speaking when he didn't answer.

"I understand caring deeply for one's closest friends, of course. But when a person actually falls in love with another, why, that is beautiful. Although, I can't be sure I would be interested in that kind of relationship myself. From what I have seen, both in Ente Isla and on Earth, I don't think a romantic relationship appeals to me. And I certainly haven't experienced those feelings before."

His eyes went wide at those words. It looked like he was right.

"You're, uh... You're not interested in _any_ part of it? Of like, dating and all that stuff...?"

She looked away nervously, blushing a little. He expected that, it _was_ an awkward subject, after all.

"N-no. None of it, to be quite honest with you. I understand others may want to... engage in certain activities, but it has simply never occurred to me."

Another moment of silence passed as Urushihara worked up the nerve to voice his thoughts.

"Suzuno... Have you ever heard of asexuality or aromanticism?"

She frowned. Clearly not.

"They're orientations, like straight, gay, bi, that sort of thing, y'know?"

"I have heard of them," she looked confused, "But I never understood any of it. As I said, I haven't experienced those sorts of feelings..."

He _was_ right. He closed his eyes briefly and nodded, then looked at her with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Asexual and aromantic. They mean people who don't feel those kinds of attraction to anyone."

The exact moment he said it, Suzuno's face lit up. She leaned forwardly eagerly.

"There are words for such a thing?" she gasped, "Good Hanzo, how did you learn about this?"

"You can find out pretty much anything on the internet," he said with a shrug, "And it's a good thing I did. 'Cause like... I'm asexual. I never understood it either but it feels a lot better knowing there's a name for me and I'm not the only one."

It felt weird to be telling _her_ this. But she knew what he meant and what it felt like.

"Oh, but," she started, her voice soft and uncertain, and he nodded, urging her to continue, "A-are you also aromantic? Are you... like me?"

"Uh... Well, sorta... It gets a little more complicated here, but basically I'm not, like, _completely_ aro, I'm demiromantic. I _can_ get romantically attracted to people, just... only after I get close enough to them," he trailed off when he saw the confused, and a little bit overwhelmed, look on Suzuno's face, "Y'know what, maybe you should just research all that on your own."

He considered, just for a second, telling her that Shizuka was aromantic, but that was up to Shizuka, not Urushihara. Which, in fact, reminded him of something important. He quickly interrupted Suzuno from her thoughts.

"I'm not out, though. Not to everyone. So, don't mention any of this to Maou and the others. Shizuka and Momoko are the only ones who know. Besides the people I just know online, at least."

"I won't say a word. I swear it. Uh... should I tell people about... myself?"

"It's your decision. And I won't say anything if you don't want me to."

She was oddly touched by that. It was strange for him to show such consideration towards her. He had helped her to figure out something she didn't know about herself.

And she had learned something personal about him.


	19. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Hey, guess who still can't stick to her own update schedule~ Sorry, guys, I haven't been able to do much chapter planning until today... Anyway, this fic could potentially be coming to a close soon! My ideas right now could go up to chapter 20, I think? I don't have much more material in mind to fill any more than that and if I try to come up with something else I think it'd just make the story drag on unnecessarily so y'know. Enjoy the last few chapters of Misfit Together~! (Btw I think I might have written Ashiya a little meaner than intended. Please don't be angry at him, he needs a break)

* * *

Chapter 18

Shizuka did get in touch eventually. It had been a couple of days since he had met with Momoko and now he sat in the apartment opposite Urushihara. Ashiya moved around them, trying to clean the room without getting distracted by their chatter. But that was proving to be quite difficult.

"It's not so bad," Shizuka said with a shrug, "We just need to give her a little more time to warm up to you again."

"We've _given_ her time..." Urushihara couldn't help but huff. He was leaning forward on the table with his chin resting on his crossed arms.

Shizuka shook his head slightly and adjusted his glasses.

"It's a lot to take in," he reminded his friend, " _I'm_ still not used to it. It just keeps... hitting me out of nowhere. Like, I'm friends with a demon. That's not exactly something a human being can easily adjust to."

With a soft groan, Urushihara sat up, "I know... It's just that she won't even talk to me. Not even online. I've made it clear I'm not gonna hurt her, haven't I?"

"This is making her question things. She doesn't know if she can even _believe_ you won't hurt her. Think about this from her point of view. She needs some solid proof."

"Proof of _what_ , exactly?" Urushihara swung his hand around as he talked, "That I'm not dangerous? 'Cause I gotta be honest with ya, I kinda _am_."

Ashiya dodged out of Urushihara's way before he dropped the laundry he was carrying. He gritted his teeth and carried on with his work.

"I mean proof that you're still her friend and she can trust you. You have to wait it out until she's ready to talk to you and show her you're still the same guy she always knew, even if you do have giant wings and magic powers."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Figure it out while you wait, I guess."

That only elicited another frustrated groan from Urushihara. He wasn't used to taking other people's thoughts and feelings into consideration but if this was the price he had to pay to have, and keep, friends, then he would have to do it. But then his thoughts were interrupted by Ashiya's bitter voice.

"Is there a reason this conversation has to take place in the apartment while I'm busy? Couldn't you have gone out somewhere to talk?"

"We needed someplace private," was the only answer they could offer.

"Isn't Ms Kamazuki involved in all this now? You could always go and talk in _her_ apartment."

Urushihara and Shizuka looked at each other, expressionless.

"That was not merely a suggestion. Get out. Give me some peace and quiet for a while."

From the look on his face, he wasn't kidding. They stood up and made their way to the room next door. As usual, Urushihara knocked twice and pushed the door.

"Su?"

"Oh, Good Hanzo, I wasn't expecting you," Suzuno appeared in front of them, "And Good Shizuka. It's nice to see you again."

She gave a small bow which Shizuka returned.

"What brings you here?" she stepped back to let them inside, "Is there something wrong?"

"Well, Ashiya kicked us out." Urushihara went straight to sit at the table.

Suzuno shot him a glare then turned to Shizuka, who was still stood by the door.

"We were talking about Momoko."

Nodding, Suzuno went to sit down, Shizuka following behind.

"I see. What did she say when you spoke with her?"

"She's still not sure about things. She does want to talk to Hanzo again, she just needs a little more time to get her thoughts straight and stuff," he looked at Urushihara, "But _he's_ getting pretty restless."

"I can imagine."

As they both frowned at him, Urushihara pouted and turned away. He wasn't going to deny it, but he didn't want to admit it either.

"... I just want things to go back to normal as soon as possible, alright?"

They could all agree on that. They talked for a while more about Momoko and how they could ease her fears until Shizuka had a thought.

"Kamazuki," they both turned to look at him, "Why don't you come with me to try talking to her just one more time?"

"But how would that help?"

"She might listen to you. She said she could at least consider trusting you."

At this, Urushihara turned to Suzuno with an unreadable expression on his face.

"... When?"

"Whenever. Tomorrow? Today?"

She glanced between them a few times. She seemed reluctant at first but when she saw Urushihara's face she smiled and nodded.

"We'll talk with her together, as soon as we can."

It was barely noticeable, but Urushihara perked up at those words. If Momoko really would listen to Suzuno, he had no doubt she could convince her to talk to him again. Urushihara soon returned to room 201, and this time he was alone.

Shizuka, meanwhile, was texting Momoko as he led Suzuno through Sasazuka and towards Hatagaya. He wasn't surprised that the first thing she asked upon being asked to meet up was if Urushihara would be there and he assured her he wouldn't. When Momoko saw that he had brought Suzuno along instead, she was surprised.

"Miss Kamazuki? What are you doing here?" she asked, a little flustered but smiling.

"I wanted to talk to you about Good Hanzo again."

Momoko's smile dropped.

"Oh..."

Suzuno and Shizuka both noticed her falter.

"Good Momoko," Suzuno took a step closer, "I told you before that I wanted to learn more about Good Hanzo and get to know him better. I _have_ learned more about him since we last talked and I have found there truly is many sides to him. Although he can be rather disagreeable, he knows when he needs to be kind and considerate towards others. He can be caring and helpful when it really matters."

"... But what if it's all a big lie? That's what I'm worried about."

"I understand your concerns," Suzuno's voice softened, "I had the same suspicions not so long ago but I've seen it first-hand now. He does care for his friends. And he's been worried about you. Please, if nothing else, you should talk to him."

Momoko bit her lip, glancing away from Suzuno and over to Shizuka. He watched her pleadingly.

"He's not gonna hurt you, ok? He seriously just wants to talk to you, Mo."

She twisted her wristband around a few times.

"I do want to try and work this all out..." she looked back at them again, "I guess it's better to do it sooner than later, right?"


	20. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Am I late again? Why do I even bother with an update schedule? Anyway, it's time for the second-last chapter~! But things aren't completely winding down quite yet, I have something big planned to close it next week ;) And if anyone is interested, I'll hopefully be doing a one-shot collection for the musical 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee next. There's also a chance I'll do another Devil fic, something shorter probably, for my Demon Family AU, but that's still just an idea. Now that's all been said, onto the story!

* * *

Chapter 19

Five words. Just five words, but he had to read and reread them over and over again to get himself to believe it.

 _Could I come over today?_

Momoko actually wanted to see him. The message had popped up almost out of nowhere while Urushihara was scrolling down his dash, feeling distant. Those words pulled him back to reality immediately but it took him a minute or two to respond.

 _Sure. Whenever you want._

He held his breath. A few seconds passed.

 _Sometime this afternoon. Villa Rosa right?_

Then...

 _Shizuka told me._

He let out a sigh. It looked like things were starting to get better.

 _Right. I'll see you then._

There was nothing else after that. He sat back and thought. Maou had just left for work and would be back late in the afternoon. Urushihara only hoped he wouldn't interrupt them. He turned to look at Ashiya, who was busy washing up after breakfast. It might be worth getting him out of the apartment as well, but he could worry about that later. Right now, he just wanted to relax before he had to face his fear. He closed the laptop and pushed it aside, making room for him to lean forward on his desk. He sat there for what seemed like ages but couldn't really have been more than five minutes. It didn't take much longer for Ashiya to notice.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his tone more curious than concerned.

"Momoko's coming over later," he mumbled, not looking up, "To talk, I guess."

Ashiya rolled his eyes and turned back to the sink.

"There you go again, making plans without his Majesty's permission."

"Since when did I ever do that?" Urushihara snapped, tilting his head ever-so-slightly to sneer at his roommate, "And anyway, this is important. So if you're going shopping or anything today, take your time."

"This whole ordeal started because you decided to sneak out without either of us knowing," the annoyance in Ashiya's voice faded, "But I suppose I could give you the time you need. After all, I think you've suffered long enough over this."

Urushihara raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical.

"... You're just sick of me sulking, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, I am, to be perfectly honest with you. Still..." he turned around to face him, "I can see this has taken its toll on you. And I'll bet you've learned a thing or two about getting along with others."

"... Yeah, maybe..." Urushihara muttered under his breath as he turned away again.

Ashiya finished washing up and quietly went about the rest of his everyday chores in the apartment, leaving Urushihara to his thoughts. At this point, he was just waiting. After Ashiya left, he stayed where he was. He tried to force himself to stand up and at least look out of the window, just to see if Momoko was there, but his nerves and anxiety got the better of him. Sometime later, he heard footsteps outside on the staircase, then the opening and closing of the door into the hallway.

Part of him was scared, but another part of him was happy. He couldn't tell which part was stronger.

The footsteps stopped. She was hesitating. At least he wasn't the only one. Urushihara slowly stood up, still not moving any closer to the door. Not until he heard her knock. When he opened the door, Momoko stumbled back but caught herself quickly. Clearly, she was fretting as much as he was.

"Uh, hey... H-Hanzo..."

"Hey... Come on in."

He offered a soft smile, hoping to reassure her, and stepped aside to let her in. He closed the door again and they silently sat down opposite one another at the table. Neither of them knew what to say for a while and at first they couldn't meet each other's eyes. Until Urushihara decided to speak up. His eyes stayed fixed on the surface of the table but Momoko watched him with cautious curiosity.

"I... I'm sorry," he said, "For scaring you so badly, first of all. And for keeping this from you. But I guess it's pretty obvious why I didn't want to tell you..."

Momoko felt the tension that she had built up inside herself begin to break. He sounded completely sincere.

"I'm sorry I didn't think I could trust you. And for talking to Sariel. I just thought... well, you weren't telling me anything and he knew why. And I felt like if he told me something you were hiding then that meant he was more trustworthy... Y'know...?"

Urushihara had tensed up at the mere mention of Sariel. He couldn't bear to admit that he was still mad at her for talking to him. He had warned her. He had told her he could be dangerous. And so much of this problem was his fault.

Although, most of it was Urushihara's fault.

"... I understand. I could've given you a little more detail about him without giving everything up."

They could both feel the uncomfortable atmosphere gradually starting to ebb.

Yet they still couldn't make eye contact. One of them was always looking away.

"I'm not... used to it yet. I keep thinking I can accept it but... y-you're a _demon_ , how am I supposed to take that? What am supposed to do with that information? How am I supposed to react?"

For a moment, Urushihara considered pointing out that Shizuka had handled it well enough, but he cut himself off before he even said a single word. Shizuka wasn't completely over the revelation himself yet. He was still in shock. And bringing up the fact that he had stayed and continued talking to him could potentially strike a nerve with Momoko if she took it the wrong way. He didn't want to make her feel bad for wanting to protect herself.

"I don't know. Maybe you don't need to do anything right now. It doesn't matter if you aren't used to it, just... give it time?" he finally met her eyes, "Please?"

It was a rare thing to hear Hanzo Urushihara say "please". Momoko bit her lip and her hand went to her wristband, tugging at it just a bit. But before she could give him an answer, they heard footsteps outside and soon the door opened.

Maou entered the apartment and paused at the sight of Momoko sitting across from Urushihara in the middle of the room. His usual friendly smile appeared almost instantly.

"Oh, hi, you must be Hamasaki. I'm Maou. I know we saw each other before but I guess we didn't really get the chance to talk what with everything that was going on."

It was like he was talking about a minor neighbourhood disturbance instead of the discovery that she had befriended a demon from another world.

As he came forward Urushihara noticed the wide-eyed, panicked look on Momoko's face. Her whole demeanour had changed. Suddenly she was standing up and sidestepping away from Maou with a forced smile. She bowed as she shuffled away from him and closer to the door. Urushihara pushed himself to his feet, about to ask her to wait but she was already excusing herself.

"Uh, yeah, hi... Um, I'm sorry, I should really get going. I forgot I need to pick up my brothers from school... F-from their club activities... But i-it was nice seeing you again...!"

She was gone only a second later. Maou looked lost and turned to Urushihara for an explanation only to find him staring at the door with a frown.

"Hey, uh, mind telling me what just happened?"

"Her brothers don't even have club activities today..." he muttered, as if Maou hadn't said anything at all.

He sat down again and his head dropped against the table.

"Urushihara? Are you al-"

" _No!_ No, I'm not alright!" his head snapped back up again, his eyes cold and glaring, "We were actually getting somewhere, we were _talking_ again, then _you_ had to come in here and scare her off! Everything was fine until you walked in!"

"And what exactly did I do? How was I supposed to know she was even here? This isn't my fa..." he trailed off as he caught sight of a tear beginning to form in Urushihara's eye.

He didn't actually cry. But the tear was there. And now that he was paying attention, Maou could see that Urushihara was shaking. He lowered his voice.

"It wasn't my fault, and it wasn't yours either."

Urushihara went quiet for a moment, curling in on himself more, like he always did when he was afraid or upset. It was the closest thing he could get to wrapping his wings around his body.

"... You're right, though. Anyway, it wasn't going all that great. She's still nervous around me. She's trying but... I don't think she can shake that image of me. As something evil and scary and dangerous..."

"You would've been proud of that image back home." Maou smiled sadly.

"Not here... Not when it's my friend who sees me that way."

There was a pause as Maou looked at him and thought. He crouched down in front of him.

"Forget all that. She still came to see you, right? You talked. That's a good sign. And so what if she hasn't really warmed up to _me_ yet? She's _your_ friend. We can worry about the rest of us later."

"Yeah," Urushihara rolled over and crawled back towards his desk, "I guess you're right."

Maou watched him open up his laptop and return to his practically-default position. He suspected it wouldn't take much longer for Momoko to come around. She just needed some kind of push back towards her friend.

Where that push would come from, however, he had no idea.


	21. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer** \- I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Ahh, here we are, at the end of Misfit Together, AKA the HaMoShi fic. Remember - the last one-shot from Heaven is a Place on Earth still happens after all this! I just want to throw this out there - I found the _**perfect**_ reference for Shizuka's design! He looks like a brown-haired, hazel-eyed version of Daisuke Hiraoka from the anime Shirobako (which is awesome, btw, go watch it), even down to the glasses and fashion sense. So if you want a better idea of what Shi'ka looks like, google that name ;) Anyway, this may well be the last we'll see of these OCs. I mean, I'll still have them in my head but idk if I'll write about them anymore. Still unsure whether or not I'll write any fic for my demon family AU but it's always possible. I'd recommend going to my Tumblr (which is on my profile) and checking my tags for 'demon family', 'Momoko Hamasaki' and 'Shizuka Kusanagi' cuz I have stuff about them on there~ And if you're into musical theatre, watch out for my Putnam Spelling Bee one-shot collection~ And so, with all that said, it's time to bring this fic to a close... With the longest chapter yet

* * *

Chapter 20

It wasn't anything personal. Really, it wasn't.

She had known Urushihara for some time before she learned the truth about him. But she had never once met Maou before. There was nothing to remind her that he was anything other than a monster. Sure, she'd given Urushihara time and she was finally coming around. Their talk might have been stilted and awkward but it was certainly a step in the right direction. This would take even more time to get used to. It had been only a few days since she had visited Villa Rosa and she was still in a daze of sorts. She'd come so far only to be knocked back a couple of steps. She hadn't given up entirely. Oh, no, not now. No way. She just... had to regain her strength.

The sun was only just beginning to set and Momoko was strolling through the quiet streets of Shibuya on her way home, one hand gripping the strap on her backpack. She had met up with a few friends from school, hoping it might distract her from all this madness, but she couldn't help but worry. Her friends noticed, of course. Her usual extravagant dress sense was gone and had been replaced by the plain and simple, almost rushed, look that told them she had something weighing heavily on her mind. And nothing they could say or do cheered her up for long.

The sky was growing darker and soon, she noticed a figure walking towards her. One that seemed eerily familiar.

The weird thing was, Sariel seemed surprised once he recognized her. He hadn't been watching her or looking for her, he was simply on his way home, the same as her. Still, Momoko kept her guard up. He may not have been expecting to bump into her, but she could still hear her friend's words clear in her mind.

 _"Trust me, he's bad news."_

And he really had meant it.

Momoko felt a chill run down her spine as Sariel smiled at her and slowed almost to a stop as they drew closer. What was even weirder was that his smile wasn't quite as sinister or discomforting as she expected from him.

"I saw you with that other boy a week or so ago," he said, "I hope the two of you have followed my advice."

He thought he had driven her away from Urushihara. Frowning, Momoko opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted.

"After all, such a delicate, young beauty shouldn't be risking her safety with a creature like him."

Seeing the flirtatious look he gave her, Momoko grimaced, then had to bite back a smirk at the voice in her head that snidely whispered:

 _"Good sir, I am, in fact, a lesbian."_

Instead, she chose to voice a different thought:

"He isn't a ' _creature_ '..." her nerves were starting to get the best of her but she stood her ground, "And I am not ' _delicate_ '..."

His expression, his posture, his entire demeanour changed instantly. Now, Sariel was standing bolt upright, looking down at her (as best he could, being roughly the same height as her) with a menacing glare.

"Ah, so that's how it is," he muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Momoko to make out what he was saying, "Another poor human has fallen victim to the demons' temptation."

He took on a more threatening stance and Momoko flinched, ready to run.

"So what kind of tricks and spells did he use to manipulate you?" he spat.

 _No tricks. No spells. He didn't do anything. He didn't._

The fact that she even had to reassure herself of that made her self-disdain rise. She didn't need this right now. She knew Urushihara was her friend, and that this man was the one hoping to manipulate her.

He made a grab for her wrist and she quickly snapped back to reality. Before he got a firm enough grip on her, she pulled away sharply and swung a fist, hitting his jaw and throwing him off balance. With Sariel momentarily distracted, Momoko turned and bolted.

She heard him swear and shout after her but she didn't turn back. If she could just get out of his sight before he regained his footing she might be able to lose him and get home safely. But then she heard a soul-crushingly familiar sound. A loud and sudden _whoosh_ of wind running through feathers. Without stopping, she turned her head to see a magnificent pair of wings of the purest white. The shock made her trip up and the memories froze her in place. But only for a moment. He was flying towards her now at almost breakneck speed and Momoko was being forced ahead by fear and adrenaline.

It was late. The streets were empty. Her mind was racing, trying to think of a way to save herself. She pulled her backpack off and unzipped it, digging frantically until she found her phone. She was panting and getting desperate, but she still hesitated over Urushihara's name as she scrolled through her contacts. Flicking past it, she tried calling up Shizuka instead.

No answer.

"...!"

Sariel was gaining on her. As she looked around she realised she didn't recognise where she was anymore. In her blind panic, she had strayed from her usual route home and gotten herself lost. She was lucky enough to find a hidden back alley and ducked into it, praying it would at least buy her some time. This time when she pulled out her phone, she didn't hesitate.

"Momo...?"

He sounded hopeful. That was expected, considering how their last meeting had ended.

"Hanzo..." she struggled to catch her breath, "Hanzo, that guy, Sariel... H-he's chasing me... He... he thinks you must've put s-some spell or something on me, I-I don't know... But he's after me..."

That sounded somehow familiar. Urushihara thought back to the last time Sariel had caused them trouble, when he had kidnapped Chiho. He had supposedly wanted to perform some sort of tests or experiments on her or something to find out how a human being could be effected by being in such close proximity with a demon. He had no doubt in his mind that he would be willing to do the same to Momoko.

"Where are you?" He tried to keep his voice level.

"I-I'm not sure... Somewhere in Shibuya. It's dark, I'm freaking out, I-I need help..." She could feel tears pricking her eyes.

"Stay where you are. I'll come find you."

Despite everything, Momoko felt herself relax. She hung up, dropped her phone into her backpack and sank to the ground, drawing her knees to her chest and lowering her head. For now, she just had to hope Sariel didn't find her.

She couldn't tell how much time had passed, but at some point, she heard the beating of wings approaching her hiding place. She tried to pull her legs and her head closer, making herself as small, and as unseeable, as she possibly could. The sound seemed to be getting faster and faster, nearer and nearer. It was only a few feet away now and then, it stopped and footsteps fell by the entrance into the alley. Momoko gritted her teeth but refused to look up.

Until she heard the person speak.

"Momoko!"

Her head shot up and she saw Urushihara standing there, looking down at her with a mix of concern and relief in his eyes.

That wasn't what made her stare, though. Behind him, his broad, black wings spread out as far as they were able to in this small space. She blinked a few times and swallowed uneasily. He quickly noticed and brought his wings in slightly.

"Sorry," he mumbled, "I'll get rid o-"

Momoko held up a hand.

"Wait, don't...!" she told him. He stopped and gave her a questioning look, "I'm gonna have to get used to this anyway..."

An awkward silence fell over them for a few seconds, then Urushihara smiled gratefully and she smiled back. Only a moment later, however, Momoko's smile faltered.

"What about Sariel?"

Urushihara took a step closer and crouched down in front of her.

"We tracked him down first," he offered a hand to help her up, "Suzuno's dealing with him now."

Once he was satisfied that his friend was alright, he let out a sigh and shook his head.

"I really didn't want you to know about all this. I knew it wouldn't go down too good."

He gave a soft chuckle but stopped when he heard something down the street. He turned and peaked out from the alley, leading Momoko to do the same. What they saw brought a smugly satisfied grin to Urushihara's face, and a look of confusion and wonder to Momoko's.

A little further down the street, Suzuno was calmly walking along, her long hair loose and flowing behind her. What surprised Momoko was the almost comically large mallet she held over one shoulder, and the bruised and beaten Sariel she was dragging behind her with the other hand.

She looked like she had done this before.

She probably had.

When she saw Momoko, she smiled gently and nodded to her.

"You're safe."

She released Sariel and let his half-conscious body drop to the floor. He let out a pitiful groan and Momoko took a step away from him, just to be safe. Urushihara only sneered at him.

"What shall we do with him?" Suzuno asked, also gazing down at the crumpled heap with disgust.

"Last time Maou tried throwing him into a Gate. But then he just ended up back in Hatagaya. Do you think that would happen again?"

"Perhaps. We can't be sure. Good Hanzo, do you have the magic to open up and control a Gate?"

"Uh..." Urushihara thought for a moment, looking back at his still-present wings, "Maybe not. I think I've probably used up most of the stuff I got left. Do you?"

"Hm. Perhaps I do. But now I'm thinking, what could be consequences of sending him back to Ente Isla? Or even Heaven, if we could manage it? Surely, that would spark some unwanted attention from that side. And if he disappears from this world, there'll be questions of what happened to him. I don't expect him to take any more risks with us after this whole ordeal."

With that, Suzuno grabbed Sariel by the collar once again and shrank the mallet in her hand down into a hairpin, Momoko looking on in amazement. With a casual goodbyes, she made her way back out of the alley.

Urushihara wings twitched a little. Stretching his arms, he dismissed them. He slumped over with a groan.

"I have, like, no energy left..."

Momoko couldn't help but laugh at his laziness, making him pout.

"Seriously, you don't know how draining it is to use magic in this world...!"

His face softened as she continued to laugh, then turned uneasy. Yet hopeful. After Momoko's laughter died down, she went quiet, unable to meet his eyes.

"... C'mon," Urushihara said, turning around, "I'll walk you home."

The following afternoon, he was leaning against a wall in the Hatagaya Station with Shizuka beside him.

"Whoa... Man, you sure miss a lot when you take a shower, huh?"

Urushihara just snorted. Shizuka had noticed the missed call from Momoko and tried to call her back the night before, but after such a stressful event, she had fallen asleep almost immediately after entering her bedroom. When he asked her about it in the morning, she had suggested the three of them just meet up. The boys had been waiting at the station for what felt like ages, but most likely wasn't much more than 15 minutes. Still, they could feel their anxiety rising the longer Momoko was taking to arrive.

"Hanzo! Shi'ka!"

They both looked up and smiled at what they saw. She was back to her old cheerful, colourful self. The wildly clashing accessories, multitude of bangles adorning both her arms and the old cat-ear-shaped headphones around her neck were a welcome sight for Urushihara and he felt himself light up.

But there was still something wrong. He still felt tense around her, but why?

His question was answered in only a matter of seconds when Momoko jogged over and greeted them. As soon as she was close enough, she reached out a hand and lay it on his head.

Fighting the urge to smile, he let his face fall into an annoyed pout and carefully removed her hand.

\- ~ THE END ~ -


End file.
